A Destructive Duo
by patty - AES
Summary: How much can one single person change? How much of a difference can one friend make? This is the story of a young girl, Katora Akimi, seeking refuge in our favourite ninja village. She befriends a familiar, loud mouthed prankster... and Konoha will never be the same. NarutoxOC in later chapters. Heavy Fūinjutsu and element usage.
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

_**EDITED: 26**__**th**__** January 2013**_

_**Author's note**__: this is my first attempt at writing a fan fiction, so I don't really know how good this story has turned out to be. At least I had fun writing it. Up until half an hour ago, I actually thought I was never going to share it with anyone, let alone publish it on the internet._

_English is not my first language, so I apologise right now for any mistakes. Critiques, corrections and advices are very welcome. In the story I tried to use japans suffixes and names (techniques, weapons etc.), but my actual knowledge of the language is near to zero. Once again, any suggestion is appreciated._

_Also, I've read fan fictions from all around the net for years, so I may have taken into account some ideas from other authors' stories now and then. If I did without noticing it I apologise beforehand, but it is very difficult to keep track of everything I've read._

_NB: the title is a spur of moment thing – and considering is very late (or very early) it probably sucks – so I may change it. Sigh, I hate giving titles. I think it's one of the most difficult things about writing._

_Well now, off we go:_

**PROLOGUE**

It was a bright afternoon in Konohakagure no Sato. A gentle breeze was blowing, making the branches of the trees waver.

The young, short boy was fiercely punching a log. Again. And again. And again. His face was set in a determined expression, but one could see an appalling desperation deep inside his beautiful, blue eyes. He had spiky blond hair and was wearing a very bright orange suit.

"Two-hundred." the kid murmured, landing another blow. "Two-hundred and one."

He was profusely sweating. Weariness was slowly overwhelming him, but... _'I'm not going to give up... never...' _He though. "Two-hundred and two." he pants. "Two-hundred and three."

He was training in the immediate outskirts of the village. The high walls that surrounded and protected Konoha could be seen far away. "Two-hundred and..." the boy stops, hearing a high pitched scream. A scared scream. A scream of pain.

"What the hell...?" he muttered, and then, without even realizing it, his instincts kicked in. Evidently the lessons at the academy had had more impact on him than his sensei's believed.

The kid ran in the direction of the scream, suddenly feeling invigorated. Few moments later, he reached a clearing, which was only a dozen of meters from his training post. There, he saw a small girl, probably about his age. She was standing in a defensive position, a kunai in hand, panting. She was covered in dirt and blood. He observed her with unusual attention, seeing everything as if it were in slow motion.

The girl was small but lean, with long, floating black hair. She was wearing tight black pants, with a kunai/shuriken holster on her right leg. Two red lines ran down the middle of her pants. She had a short coat, which stopped at her bottom, and it also was black with golden flames embroidered over it. She was carrying a huge scroll on her shoulders. At her feet a small feline that was hissing at the half dozen men that surround her. The animal looked like a miniature tiger, but silver in color. The stance of the animal, though, was unstable as if it were hurt.

The men were obviously bandits. They didn't look like shinobi, thank the kami. They were well armed though. They were at best some rogue samurai.

"It's over, girlie." chuckled what seemed to be the leader of the gang.

The girl took a deep breath. "A dog who barks, is a dog that doesn't bite." she said with a firm, but tired, tone. "He who hesitates on the battlefield, is a fool."

She moved with astonishing speed, her free hand going to her weapon holster. She threw several shuriken towards her enemies, managing to hit one of the thugs in the legs and effectively immobilizing him. A successive projectile struck the man in the chest. One down. Five to go.

The leader growled and then attacked. The small tiger immediately leaped in response, biting and scratching the nearest bandit. The man roared in pain and kicked the annoying animal away. Both the girl and the animal winced at this, but the girl managed to parry the leader's katana, contemptuously ducking an arrow coming her way. The four remaining bandits closed in towards the girl.

By then, the momentary stupor of the kid disappeared – and he decided to intervene. He threw several shuriken, aiming at the thug farthest from the girl, the archer. (He didn't want to miss and hit her instead). He hit him in the legs and his on right arm. Success.

The other three bandits seemed to freeze in confusion.

"What the fuck?" screamed the wounded one. "How did she manage to do that?"

The girl and the leader didn't lose focus, though. As the man tried to overpower her with his greater strength, she used her speed and her smaller height to her advantage. She managed to impale her kunai in his thigh, making him scream in pain. Then the girl jumped back and took a deep breath, before going through some handseals. She held the Tiger sign and released the air from her lungs. "**Katon: Faia Kouen Kasui no Jutsu!**" she shouted out.

The man's eyes widened, as a small wave of fire blazed from the girl's mouth and went straight towards him. He screamed in pain as the flames engulfed him and the girl used the distraction to hurl another kunai at him. The weapon's aim was true and it impaled it's self within her enemy's chest.

Of the three remaining thugs, only two could still effectively move. They roared in anger at the fall of their leader and ran towards the girl. She calmly faced them, tossing another dozen shuriken at them. Unfortunately they seemed to dodge most of them. Their charge was slowed down though. She crossed her fingers in the tiger seal again. "**Bunshin no Jutsu." **

Four copies of her appeared from nothingness, with the obvious purpose of disorientating her adversaries. In fact, they stopped in their tracks. The boy used the moment to attack again. This effectively caused further confusion in the two approaching bandits. The girl didn't wait for the opening to pass. Her hands quickly formed seals again, finishing with the Tiger. "**Katon: Kouen Kasui no Jutsu!"**

The frozen bandits were abruptly surrounded by another wave of fire, which burned them. The girl leaped forward, a kunai in hand, and finished the two bandits off. Only then she realized that the last standing thug had moved towards her, despite his wounds. He was pointing a bow at her. "You bitch! You will pay for the deaths of my comrades!"

The girl panted with exhaustion. "I did not ask you to hunt me." she replied, even as her head bowed down in shame.

"Shut up, you fucking whore!" the arm of the bandit tensed back, ready to release an arrow... but the man suddenly let his weapon fall, his hands going to his chest and clutching it. A kunai was impaled in his heart.

The girl sighed in relief, before turning toward the boy. He was surprised because it was as if she knew he was there. The girl bowed her head. "Arigato." she smiled, sadly. "They would have killed me if not for your help."

The boy was frozen. His hands were shaking. The girl had a very pretty face, with full lips, elegant cheeks and two starting black eyes. He wanted to answer, but was overwhelmed by emotions, he...

"It was your first kill." the girl stated, slowly moving toward him. "I'm sorry I forced you to do that, shinobi-san."

The boy took a deep breath. "I'm... I'm not a shinobi."

She tilted her head. "But you want to be one. You have training. You have killed. At least, you are a shinobi at heart... even if it is in the darkest aspect of the job."

The boy slowly nodded. His nose was filled with the stench of blood and death – even though it was clearly too soon for the bodies to have rotted yet. In his ears lingered the final scream of the bandits, their cries of sorrow... it all still echoed within him. Was it all worth it? _'Is this really what I wanted? If I had graduated, this moment would have come nevertheless... I...' _

The girl suddenly bent down and he noticed the small tiger (at least, he thought it was a tiger) limping towards them. Its paw was severely hurt. The girl gently and carefully picked her up. The animal then started to purr. "Ah, Kaera, you should have stayed out of the fight, you know that." The purrs became stronger. The girl smiles sweetly at Kaera, then turned towards him again. Her smile didn't falter, quite the contrary, it got wider and brighter.

The boy felt a sudden warmth engulf him, cancelling all of his doubts. _'It was worth it.' _He could count on one hand the number of people who weren't indifferent or downright cruel to him. And none of them had ever smiled at him that way. With utter, complete gratitude. "My name is Akimi." she said, her voice as warm as her smile. She put her right hand forwards. "Katora Akimi. And I am in your debt."

"Naruto." he replied, taking the hand and gently squeezing it. "Uzumaki Naruto. And it was... was not really a problem, dattebayo." He ruffled his hair as if embarrassed.

There was a small flash of interest in the girl's eyes. Then it was gone. "It doesn't change a thing. I owe you. So, how can I repay you?"

"Can you teach me those jutsu? They were cool, dattebayo!" he immediately screamed, excitedly.

Akimi was pleased that he had forgotten – at least for the moment – the shock of his first kill, but she was a little puzzled at his sudden mood change. She didn't answer immediately. "I can try, certainly." _'He is so brisk and energetic. I don't know... he doesn't really strike me as a fire type.' _"But it will depend mostly by your affinity. If you have one. It is a D-rank technique, though, so you could probably master it And you have quite the amount of chakra, so..."

"Whoa." he laughs. "You are even worse than Iruka-sensei..."

Akimi tilted her head, raising an eyebrow.

Naruto seemed to panic and he put his hands forwards, in defense, moving them frantically. "It was not an insult, dattebayo. You are not offended, right?"

She smiled. "Is this _Iruka-sensei _an idiot?"

"No, no." Naruto quickly said. "He is the best teacher at the academy, dattebayo!"

"Good to know." Akimi smiled again. "So, Uzumaki-san, do you think you can point me to the village's gates?"

"Sure thing, Amiki-chan, I can accompany you."

Akimi nodded. "Good."

"You look tired, Akimi-chan." Naruto said, getting closer to her. "I'll help you."

"That is very kind of you, Uzumaki-san."

* * *

_**JUTSU NOTES:**_

_**Katon: Kouen Kasui no Jutsu**__: [Fire Release: Flame Steam Technique] D rank, offensive, it sends a small stream of fire to the opponent._

_**Bunshin no jutsu**__: [Clone Techniques] E rank, supplementary, it creates a perfect illusionary reproduction of the user._


	2. Chap 1 Meeting the Hokage

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

_**EDITED: 26**__**th**__** January 2013**_

**MEETING THE HOKAGE **

**October, 17th 211**

Fortunately, the two chūnins guards at the gates didn't seem to hate Naruto as most of the village did. Kotetsu immediately ran towards them. "What in the world happened?"

"Greetings, chūnin-san." Akimi bowed her head. Had it not been for Naruto's support she would probably have fallen along the way. "I seek refuge behind the walls of Konohakagure no Sato. Sadly, I was reached by the bandits who wanted to kill me not even half a mile from here. Luckily Uzumaki-san was there training and helped me."

"How many of them?" Izumo, the other guard, asked. "Are there others of them?"

"Six. I managed to ditch the others in the forest. They are all dead, sir." Akimi answered, candidly. She was too calm and collected for a child. Especially since she was talking about death and all.

"You killed all of them?" Kotetsu looked with surprise at Naruto. The boy winced.

"No." Akimi stated. "Just one. I killed the others. I have ninja training, chūnin-san."

The chūnin suddenly seemed to notice the massive scroll on her shoulders.

"Right. I'll make you a temporary pass. You need to report to Hokage-sama immediately, for it is him who can grant you citizenship. I'll need your name for this..."

Naruto escorted the exhausted Akimi towards the Hokage Tower (I'm pretty sure that's where you wanted them to go, and not the Academy), where the Hokage's office was. The girl noticed the cold stares in their direction. _'Curious. Gramps always told me that Konoha was a warm, welcoming place. Are they so biased towards me because I'm a stranger?' _

"All right, there, Akimi-chan?" Naruto asked, with his happy voice.

The kid was truly like a small sun. It was not only the fact that he wore bright orange. The color screamed "kill me, kill me please", really. But it was proof of his ability in stealth. Despite the color, in fact, Kaenra had only noticed him right before he intervened in the fight. Naruto Uzumaki was warm, his smile bright and sincere, but his eyes somehow filled with pain and loneliness. The same feelings that were in her eyes. It seemed that he decided to go with a happy mask, instead of her cold one. Nevertheless, she liked him. He had saved her life, after all.

"Yes. I'm still breathing after all, Uzumaki-san."

"Whoa, why are you so formal, dattebayo?" his voice was as chipper as usual, but it wavered a little. "Are we not friends, Akimi-chan?"

She bit her lips. She was not a very trusting person. She met the kid not even an hour before. But hell, he did save her even though he had never seen her... "Of course we are, Uzumaki-san, but formality was taught to me as fundamental. That is just the way I am."

Naruto scratched his head, not understanding. He really never cared for honorific. "If you say so, Katora-san."

Somehow, that just sounded wrong from his lips. Probably because his shoulders slumped down a little in defeat. Akimi suddenly got the strange feeling that the glares were not directed to her. The boy was as lonely as her – if not more. After all, it was lonelier to live in a place full of people and be ignored, then to simply have a solitary wandering life as she did. _'And I had gramps, after all. I wonder if he had anyone to take care of him as well... or if he still has them...' _"You may call me Akimi-chan, Naruto-san. You saved my life, after all."

Immediately the kid returned to his energetic, happy self. "That's great, Akimi-chan." he said, jumping a little. She laughed at his antics. "We are almost there, and don't be worried. The old man is very nice!"

'_He calls the Hokage old man? Damn, he really is the very opposite of me.' _She thought, with a small sweat drop. _'He is the most peculiar individual I ever met.'_

* * *

"Good afternoon, Naruto-kun. I was not expecting to see you any time soon." Hiruzen Sarutobi, Sandaime Hokage of Konohakagure no Sato, was a kind and perceptive old man, and a deadly and still powerful ninja. Hence he didn't openly refer to the fact that the boy had recently failed again to graduate at the Academy.

"Don't worry, jiji, it's not enough to put me down. I am the future Hokage, dattebayo." Naruto lively exclaimed.

Hiruzen's eyes widened slightly. _'Naruto-kun, why do you hide your true potential?' _

It was probably because Naruto's presence was as usual warm and conspicuous, that the Hokage didn't notice until then the other person standing near the boy. A tired girl, whose clothes were torn, battered and bloodied. She was holding a small feline, which looked like a tiger. A huge scroll was on her back. Her black eyes were deep and... sorrowful. She was a child, yes, but a child who had experienced the worst aspects of their world.

Hiruzen smiled in a grandfatherly way. "And who is your friend, Naruto-kun?"

The boy jumped at the chance to explain, his liveliness about to explode... but the girl dropped down on the ground, onto one knee. That effectively silenced him and surprised the Sandaime. The girl bowed her head. "Sarutobi-sama, I've come to your respectable village seeking refuge. It is an honor to meet a man of your caliber and reputation. My name is Katora Akimi."

The Hokage was even more taken aback by this. _'Katora... could it be?' _He blew in his pipe, pensively. "I shall listen to your reasons and to your story, Akimi-chan, but I think it would be best if you sit down, now. You look weary at the very best."

Akimi nodded and slowly rose. Indeed, she stumbled a little, before safely reaching the chair in front of the desk. She took off her scroll, putting it near her knee. Hiruzen kept smiling at her.

"How did you and Naruto-kun meet, anyway?"

"I was training, dattebayo!" exclaimed the boy. "Then I heard a scream and I decided to investigate..."

"I was fighting six bandits nearby." continued Akimi. "I was able to defeat five of them and Naruto-san killed the last, just before he killed me."

Hiruzen nodded gravely. _'They are kids and they have already killed. So much for our so called peace...' _"Why were those bandits after you, Akimi-chan?"

Akimi trembled. _'Gramps told me to trust this man. And the way he says my name, it is if he already __cares__ about me... yeah.' _"They were employed by the nemesis of my clan, Sarutobi-sama. Originally there were more of them, but I managed to ditch them in the forest, while I was making my way towards Konoha."

"So how long have you been running exactly?" Hiruzen asked, frowning.

"Today is?" the girl replied, candidly.

"October 17th"

"Yeah, so that would be two weeks." Akimi deadpanned.

'_She is too eerie for a child!' _Hiruzen deepens his frown. "Have you been eating?"

"I had sealed supplies. I finished them four days ago. That's why the bandits discovered me. I was hunting."

'_How on earth is she not exhausted?' _"Are you hungry then?" the Hokage asked with a smile.

For the first time since she entered the office, Akimi behaved like a child. She smile sheepishly, ruffled her hair and nodded.

"Very good, Naruto-kun, why don't you go and buy some ramen for our guest?" asked Hiruzen, launching a couple of ryo notes at him. "And for yourself as well. You were very brave today, I'm proud of you."

The boy jumped excitedly. "Yatta! I'll be back in a moment, dattebayo! You'll see, Akimi-chan, Ichiraku's ramen is the best in the whole world. You'll see!" and he stormed out from the office.

"Sarutobi-sama." Akimi said then. "My story is very private so..."

The Hokage nodded. "Leave us." he sharply commanded. Four shadows disappeared from the office. Akimi looked startled at the sudden movement.

"I always have ANBU guards, Akimi-chan. It's for protection."

Akimi turned to look at him. "I know. I merely sensed only two of them, that's why I was surprised."

"You sensed..." Hiruzen gaped, and then laughed. "Aren't you full of surprises?" He then went through a swift series of handseals, slamming his right hand on the table. An array of blue seals appeared on the whole office.

"Those were some powerful privacy seals, Sarutobi-sama." the girl said, visibly impressed.

"Yes. The Yondaime was quite the seal master." Hiruzen crossed his arms. "And now tell me everything, Akimi-chan."

The girl nodded. She took a scroll from her jacket and quickly bit her thumb. The scrolled unrolled itself. "Sarutobi-sama, in there you should find everything you need to know."

The old leader took the parchment and slowly read through it. "So old Katora died." he said at last. "And he told you not to use your true name."

"Yes, only you and few others are aware that Katora was his nickname, so it should be safe. Moreover, I can honor his memory in this way."

"Indeed. I'm surprised you made it from the Valley to here in only two weeks, since I suppose you don't know how to leap from a tree to tree."

"Not yet, Sarutobi-sama, not yet."

"How did he die?"

"As I said, our nemesis found us. Grandfather thought that my Dad had killed him, that's why he believed the Valley to be safe. Fortunately, our enemy was still weakened from his fight with my parents, so Gramps was able to kill him – I think - but he had to..."

"Sacrifice himself."

"Yes. I just had the time to properly bury him and collect my things – Gramps ordered me to come here right away if something happened to him – when a horde of bandits, paid by that... bastard, arrived. I barely managed to escape."

"Do you want to join my ranks then, Akimi-chan?"

"Yes." the girl looked at the ground, saddened. "I lost everything, Sarutobi-sama, but I already feel more serene here. This place is special, grandfather was right."

"How far along are you in your studies, Akimi-chan?"

"When I was five, my parents started to teach me how to read and write, as it is custom in my clan." she said, darkly. "A couple of months later they died, though. My grandfather and I were the only ones left. He was very old, Sarutobi-sama, you may remember that he was older than you. He was afraid to pass on without sharing the ancient secrets... so he started to train me harder. He was the sweetest of men and he took good care of me, but he was one harsh taskmaster. My official shinobi training, after I learned to access chakra, started when I was six."

Hiruzen nodded. "And how old are you now?"

"Almost eleven."

"So you have been training for more than four years. Describe your abilities, Akimi-chan, please."

"I have mastered the basic katas of my family style, the Tiger style, and have started to study the Fire Style to complement it. So I probably would be more able than your basic Academy student in taijutsu. I was to start weight training, but then... gramps died. I've a good proficiency in throwing weapons, especially shuriken."

Hiruzen nodded. "Genjutsu?"

"I know how to recognize and dispel one. And the Bunshin of curse."

"So you have mastered the three Academy jutsu as well?"

"_Henge _and _Kawarimi _also_, _of course."

"Other ninjutsu?"

"I've mastered the first stage of my fire manipulation." The girl raised a hand, evoking a small ball of fire from nothingness. "And I know a couple D-rank techniques and E-Rank tricks."

"You seem to be a very good sensor as well"

"It's not me really. It's Kaera, my familiar."

Sarutobi looked at the small cat curiously, because it had not made a sound, besides purring, yet it evidently told Akimi about the ANBU. "How do you two communicate?"

"Mental link." Akimi explained. "We share chakra as well. It's a complex seal my grandfather invented. You see, Kaera is one of my family's summons, but she was about to die because of a disease. Our bond saved her and she now lives in our plane."

"How remarkable. So are you well versed in Fūinjutsu as well?"

"I've almost completed level 4. But I'm able to identify more complex seals as well. Gramps started me in how to create my own seals and I believe I can manage to learn it on my own."

Hiruzen smiled. "Good. We lack seal users, so this is very good indeed. It seems to me you could start right away as a genin, however..."

"Sarutobi-sama, I need to mourn. And living in a village as this, I could perhaps have some kind of childhood. I wish to attend the Academy."

"I was about to suggest that. You want to start anew, then?"

Akimi looked embarrassed for a second. "Could I... could I be placed in Naruto-san class?"

Hiruzen chuckled. "Yes. You two are becoming fast friends, aren't you? It will be good for both of you. Naruto will start third year in autumn. You'll need to have an exam to skip the first few years. Refer to Umino Iruka for information about the syllabus. Naruto can help you there. Now, we have some paperwork to fill out." He gave her a couple of sheets, "And then I'll arrange a visit at the hospital for you and have someone look at your small friend there. And then we will need to decide where you are going to live."

The girl was filling the paper out, so she didn't answer immediately. "I think I want to buy a fair sized house, Sarutobi-sama." said Akimi eventually. "With a training ground if possible. And a protective wall. I'm kind of a private person."

"How much money do you have?"

"A lot." Akimi said. "I'm the last of my clan, after all." She took out another scroll. "I was hoping you could find a place for me."

"Certainly." Hiruzen gaped at the numbers on the sealed scroll. "I have in mind just the place. I'll take you there tomorrow so you can tell me if you want some changes made. The house is old and it will need some repairs made anyway... it was abandoned right after the Kyūbi attack eleven years ago. In the meantime, I can arrange for you to stay―"

In that moment the office's door opened violently, interrupting him. "I come bearing the sacred ramen, dattebayo!" he screamed, rushing inside. He gave Akimi a bowl. "I didn't know what you wanted so I got you a miso one, it's my favorite."

"Thank you, Naruto-san." Akimi smiled. "It smells heavenly."

"I took your favorite also, oji-san." Naruto exclaimed.

"Thank you, Naruto-kun." Hiruzen smiled kindly and the three started to eat. When they finished, the old Kage said. "I can arrange a room for you in an inn, as I was saying."

"You need a place to stay, Akimi-chan? You could stay at my place." Naruto exclaimed.

Akimi was pleased by the offer, but her politeness was greater. "I really don't want to bother you, Naruto-san."

"No, no, why would you? I live alone, anyway." Naruto said, with a point of sadness.

"Good." Hiruzen smiled brightly. '_These two will be good for each other. Naruto will make Akimi lighten up. And Akimi can teach a lot to Naruto. Excellent!' _"Naruto, why don't you escort Akimi-chan to the hospital to have a checkup? Once there, ask for Inuzuka Hana as well, give her this, and she'll visit Kaera. I'll come by tomorrow to show you the house I told you about."

"Thank you, Hokage-sama." Akimi bowed again. "I will never forgive your kindness, it's my promise of honor."

* * *

Naruto waited patiently outside of the hospital. He had told Akimi he didn't like the place, which was perhaps normal for a kid – and relative true as well. In truth, he really didn't want to give her problems, given the way most of the staff despised him. It was strange to him to be so quiet and still.

Finally, Akimi came out. She was wearing new clothes, albeit similar to her previous outfit. Under her coat, he noticed, she had a scarlet red mesh shit. She was still holding her cat in her arms.

"So are you all right, Akimi-chan?" he asked, with a bit of worry.

"Yes. I only had some scratches really. Kaera here has a wounded paw, almost broken, and has to take it easy for a couple of weeks. I have to take her to Inuzuka-san in a week for a check-up. Myself, I only need some serious sleep."

Naruto nodded. "My house isn't far away from here." he said, beckoning in its direction with his head.

She smiled, nodding. "Make way."

* * *

_**JUTSU NOTES:**_

_**Kawarimi no Jutsu**__ [Substitution Technique]: E rank, Academy technique, it used to substitute oneself with a nearby object or solid clone._

_**Henge no Jutsu**__ [Transformation Technique]: E rank, Academy technique, it allows a shinobi to change their appearance with those of other peoples or even unanimated objects. It is dispelled upon touch or if the user loses attention._


	3. Chap 2 Becoming Friends

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

_**EDITED: 26**__**th**__** January 2013**_

**BECOMING FRIENDS**

**October, 18th 211 – early morning**

Akimi woke up with a scream. She was sweating. "Great. Just great." she panted, moving her hair from her forehead. She saw on the bedside table a clock, realizing it was 5.35 in the morning. She was glad she has slept so long, all things considered. "I should have expected this."

The door opened violently. "Are you all right, Akimi-chan?" Naruto entered in the room, wearing quite funny pajamas. They were a pale blue, with frogs all over. He had a hat with a pom-pom as well.

'_Why didn't I put a privacy seal around the bed? I was exhausted, that's why.' _"It was just a nightmare, Naruto-san, don't worry. I'm very sorry I woke you up, especially after you gave up your bed for me."

The girl insisted she could use the couch, after all it was almost two weeks since she had slept at all – and her brief naps were on solid ground in the forest – so the couch would be more than fine. Thus she learned that Naruto, even though he mostly behaved like an idiot, was a true gentleman at heart. So she had indeed used his bed.

"It's fine. I wasn't sleeping... I... I've lots on my mind."

Akimi sat up on the bed. "Care to talk about it? I doubt I will be able to go back to sleep. After all, I slept for more than ten hours." After they reached Naruto's house, the girl had immediately gone to sleep, too tired to even eat again. Kaera was curled near her, on the pillows, and was looking at her with worried eyes.

Naruto sat at the end of the bed. "I keep seeing that man's face when I close my eyes. I keep telling myself that I could have done it differently. I could have aimed at his shoulder or leg, I didn't have to... to kill him. But I did. I'm a murderer."

"You aren't." Akimi said. "You are a very bright, kind person, Naruto-san. It's all right to feel guilty, but you should not let the guilt eat you."

"That's the thing, Akimi-chan, since I can remember I wanted to be a shinobi. But if I have all these problems killing one single person, how can I...? I suppose I always thought that being a ninja was all about having cool jutsu and going around saving the day."

"You saved me though." Akimi smiled, moving to sit near him. "And being a ninja doesn't mean you are simply and only a killer. There is more to it. It all depends on how you see the job. You are right, maybe you didn't have to kill him. But you reacted on instinct didn't' you?"

"I did." Naruto bitterly laughed. "Mizuki-sensei would be surprised. My aim usually sucks."

Akimi giggled a little. "Crisis situations bring out our best. That's why what my grandfather used to say."

"He sounded like a wise man. How long ago did he...?"

"Sixteen days." Akimi said, with a pained voice. "That was what I was dreaming about."

Naruto put ha hand on her shoulder, tentatively. "I'm very sorry, Akimi-chan."

"Don't be. It's not your fault. But I appreciate your sympathy."

"Do you think... do you think those men had a family? Someone who now is mourning them?"

"That's something you – and I as well – will be wondering about for life. We have no means to know. The easy way would be to think that they were ruthless men, greedy, who became bandits because they were cruel. But who knows? Maybe they lost their job and they were forced to steal to help their family. But usually thugs like that are not nice people and if they have family, it's only because they raped some woman during one of their raids."

"But we can't possibly know, right." Naruto sighed. "How do you do it? You killed five of them! I mean, I'm not saying you are a cold or unfeeling person but I..."

"I learned how to cope, Naruto-san." Akimi lowered her head. Her voice faltered. "I saw my parents die before my eyes when I was five. My grandfather was my everything. He and I wandered along all Hi no Kuni and also a little of Kawa no Kuni. It was there, in a small village in the Lands of Rivers, that I made my first kill. I was nine." she stopped. "We were about to leave. The village had a strange air around it. It was dark. The people looked weary. My Grandfather didn't like it. Then they arrived. More than four dozens of bandits. They were greedy monsters. They had already sacked most of the crops of the villagers, but they wanted more... Gramps didn't hesitate. He attacked them. _'It is my duty to protect those who are weaker than us. If not, power will corrupt me.' _He always said."

"He was able to stand up to more than forty people?"

"He was good." Akimi sadly smiled. "At the end, when only few of them remained, I saw one of them sneak up on him. Probably gramps would have been able to stop him but I didn't think about it. The only thing I saw was someone trying to hurt my only family, my precious grandfather. I saw red. I hit the man square in the chest with twelve shuriken. I still can picture the expression of utter shock on the man's face. I remember his scream. The smell of blood. His wounds... it's like it's all burned in my memory. I threw up right after and wasn't able to sleep for almost two weeks. I barely ate. Gramps was very worried about me."

"This is what you meant when you told me not to let guilt eat me. How did you cope, Akimi-chan?"

"Gramps slowly made me understand that death is part of life. There always comes a moment in the life when you are forced to choose between your life or the life of your loved one and your enemy's life. As long as one understands that killing is a last resort and doesn't do it lightly... as long as you feel guilty and don't feel pleasure in killing... as long as this happens, then you are not a murderer. Senseless killing is a sin. Killing in defense and in the line of duty is a fact."

"I don't really like it, you know."

"That's the point, Naruto-san. You have to keep disliking it, but you also have to accept it." Akimi smiled sadly. "And also finding an outlet, a distraction helps. A hobby would be excellent. I, for one, read a lot. What about you, Naruto-san, have you got any hobbies?"

"Pranking."

"You prank your friends?" Akimi asked, interested.

"I prank everyone. And I don't think I really have friends. I have buddies at the Academy, but..."

"It's fine, Naruto-san." Akimi smiled. "But I think you probably should restrain yourself from laying too much mayhem on this village. How about another hobby? Art, music, cooking, gardening...? None of these appeals to you?"

"I've never tried. Maybe we could do it together." Naruto throw a punch in the air, exited. "So we can have a hobby together. A way to spend time together."

"Naruto." Akimi dropped the honorific. "I'm your friend. I think in time we can become the best of friends. We'll spend a lot of time together – hobby or not." she reassured him.

"That's great." Naruto smiled at her. "You know, I don't feel tired at all."

"Me either. Do you have something to eat?"

"Instant ramen... maybe some milk."

"I see." Akimi giggled. "Maybe you should look into cooking. I can teach you a little. I always cooked for gramps. For now, instant ramen will do."

"I'll go prepare it. What about Kaera-chan?"

"She eats meat. I doubt you have some, so I'll buy it for her tomorrow. I have to restock my supplies anyway."

Ten minutes later the two children were eating ramen in the small kitchen of the house. Akimi was very appalled the boy ate only ramen. "I mean really: no meat, no vegetables?"

"What do you mean, Akimi-chan? There are dozens of different flavors of ramen, dattebayo."

"Having a differentiate and balanced diet is the quickest way to have a strong and sane body. A strong and sane body is fundamental for a shinobi." she explained. "Maybe you should try to balance ramen out with something else."

Naruto looked at her strangely. "But ramen is divine food."

Akimi tilted her head. "Maybe eating ramen _is _your coping way."

Naruto was taken aback from this. Could it be? After all Teuchi-san and Ayame-chan were few of the people who treated him fairly and kindly. Maybe he had come to think of ramen as a conform food because of this and it slowly became his obsession. That, and it was very tasty.

"How bad did you have it, Naruto-kun?" asked Akimi then, her voice serious and yet sweet.

Naruto gaped. Did she just call him Naruto-kun? Only the Hokage did, and he always called children with the affectionate suffix. But Akimi doing it... it felt warm. She was using it because she cared for him. Because she was his friend. "How can you tell?"

"Your eyes share the same amount of pain as mine. You hide it with your happy ways. I respect you a lot for that. It has been a long time since I felt carefree. I haven't such strength. The strength to smile. But in the end, you still suffer."

"And you hide the pain with your coldness, don't you, Akimi-chan?"

"Yes. In this way we are opposite. Maybe we can learn from each other." Akimi sighed. "Since gramps died I feel lost. I'm lost. Of course, I had more pressing things to think about, like escaping those thugs and reaching Konoha. But now, it's all coming crashing down."

"I'll make you smile again, Akimi-chan." Naruto explained. "It's a promise. And I never back down on my word, dattebayo!"

"Your determination is astonishing. You'll go far, Naruto-kun. What drives you?"

Naruto felt he could trust Akimi. That he could show her his true self. They had connected when he saved her. He lowered his head and spoke in a small voice. "I'm an orphan. My parents were shinobi and they died fighting the Kyūbi. At least according to oji-san. In the orphanage they always said they abandoned me. That they wouldn't want someone as useless as me."

A sharp hissing sound echoed in the room. Naruto raised his head in surprise, to see Akimi with clenched fists. Fists which were surrounded by... _flames? _He also noticed her eyes were golden. What on earth? "Akimi-chan...?"

"Sorry, sorry." the girl calmed down is a like a second. "The idiots who told you that have to hope I never meet them. Naruto-kun, I'm sure the Hokage would not lie to you. Your parents were certainly honorable people and you are not worthless."

Naruto nodded. _'She is scary when she is angry. Much scarier than Sakura-chan. A lot kinder as well. Not to self: never anger her.' _"I was kicked out from the orphanage at five. I lived on the streets for about a week I think, then I met oji-san and he gave me this house and a monthly allowance. He also enrolled me in the academy. The teachers treated me even worse than the caretakers at the orphanage though. I had to learn how to read on my own and I swore I always did my best on the test, but I always scored low. So after a while I simply stopped caring. And I started ditching school as well"

Akimi frowned. "Didn't you tell this to Sarutobi-sama? I'm sure he would have helped you."

"I didn't want to bother him. He helped me so much already. He is the Hokage, he is busy. Besides I'm the only one who was treated unfairly, so... I just wish I knew why the hate me."

"They are all idiots. Really, that's even flattering for them. That is no way to treat a child. Gramps would have kicked their sorry asses into next week." she laughs a little, albeit bitterly. "So you failed the Graduation Exam?"

"Yeah. Two times. After the first I joined Iruka-sensei's class with all the kids of my age. Lots of clan heirs as well... He is a fair teacher, but I think he kind of hates my pranking ways. I tried again the exam this year. I almost did it, were it not for that damn..."

"Yeah?"

"_Bunshin no Jutsu! _I can't even make a clone, do you realize what a joke I am?_"_

"Where did the determined shinobi I've met today go?" Akimi said. "You are not a joke. I'm sure there is an explanation as why you can't do a clone. Besides, I promised to teach you, and I also tend to keep my word, you know."

"Really, you'll help me?" Naruto smiled. "You don't think I'm a hopeless dope?"

"You look very smart to me." Akimi shook her head. "You know, I simply think you got lost in your mask."

"Huh?" Naruto said. _'Way to show my smartness...' _

"You were suffering so much, Naruto-kun, that you decided to mask it with a happy smile. You wear orange, you act you are a utter baka... but you are not. I can see it. You simply never felt secure enough to drop your mask."

"Ehi, orange is a beautiful color. It is my favorite, dattebayo. That's why I wear it. Can't you see its awesomeness? Don't insult the orange!"

"Never. It's a rather... unorthodox color for an aspiring shinobi, but it's very beautiful. It's very close to my own favorite – red. I think it matches your personality. You are so vivacious it's impossible not to notice you and orange really helps you there." Akimi replied. "Besides, I think you really wish to be acknowledged, do you not?"

Naruto gaped again. "How do you do it?"

"Gramps taught me to observe everything. A ninja is always aware of his surroundings. He who controls the battlefield, controls the battle." Akimi smiled. "Plus, it's useful to confuse your opponent."

"Are you always this philosophical?"

"Gramps always said that learning to be a ninja is not only learning tai, nin and gen jutsu. It's not simply throwing weapons around and learning how to mold chakra. It's much more. It's a way of life: a philosophy."

"Observing, uh?" Naruto asked. "What happened before? Your eyes were golden."

"It's my clan secret." Akimi answered. "I'll explain to you after I have a safe room set up in my house. I really wish to keep the information secret."

"Nobody is listening."

"We are in a ninja village, Naruto-kun."

"Is this why oji-san sent me away yesterday?"

"So you are indeed observing!" Akimi exclaimed. "See, I told you that you were smart."

Naruto laughed, ruffling his spiky hair in embarrassment. "I suppose you are right."

* * *

Hiruzen Sarutobi made his way towards Naruto's apartment. He didn't bother to knock, since he knew the boy wouldn't mind. He slowly opened the door, which gave way to the sitting room, and was mildly surprised to see the two young kids talking on the couch, since it was just barely past dawn. They seemed very at ease with each other. They were sat facing each other, Akimi had her legs crossed, and her cat was in her lap, while Naruto was basically lying on the couch, his legs finishing just at the side of the girl.

What truly astonished the old Kage, though, was that he didn't hear a noise coming from the couch, despise the fact that Naruto had his arm thrown in the air – and was probably shouting as usual. Akimi was giggling at his antics. _'She must have put a seal on the couch. She is indeed good.'_

Akimi finally turned towards the door. He expected that. Hiruzen wasn't suppressing his chakra after all. The girl moved her hands in the "Kai" sign. "Sarutobi-sama." she greeted then, bowing her head. "Good morning."

"Oji-san!" Naruto was as usual very enthusiastic and he jumped down the couch to run towards him. "What are you doing here?"

Hiruzen chuckled at him. "I dropped by to leave you a message, because I thought I would find you sleeping." he explained. "But since you are awake, we might as well get moving. I want to show Akimi-chan what I think would be the perfect house for her. But first, are you and your familiar all right, child?"

"Yes, Sarutobi-sama. We only need rest, really." Akimi got up as well. "I thank you for your time."

"Come on, then. I'll treat you to breakfast afterwards." Hiruzen smiled. _'Good. Akimi has probably helped Naruto cope with his first kill. I think she had already lived that trauma a long time ago. And Naruto is already making her loosen up.'_

Akimi loved the house right away. It was a fair sized two stores building, very traditional looking. It had a small garden for relaxing and a big patio. Nearby there was a small training ground. The whole structure was surrounded by a tall grey wall. Sarutobi told her he would buy the house for her and arrange for swiftly repairs. Akimi noted that they were near the river and asked if it would be possible to have a small waterfall and pond in the training grounds, with maybe a small river running along their perimeter. Sarutobi said it would not be a problem, since she had quite the amount of ryo.

The old Kage returned to his feared paperwork after eating breakfast with the two children (Akimi managed to convince Naruto not to have ramen, to his uttermost surprise).

"So what now?" Naruto asked, his hands in his pockets.

"You could show me around. I need to shop. Groceries and all." Akimi smiled. "And then you could point me to Umino-san, so I can ask him information about the Academy Syllabus."

"You are joining the Academy!" exclaimed Naruto, happily. "This is wonderful, Akimi-chan. What year are you going to be?"

"Yours, if I pass the necessary tests." Akimi smiled at him. "I thought we could ask Umino-san about your results as well."

Naruto's face darkened. "I'm not sure..."

"Don't worry about it too much, Naruto-kun, but if I see them, I'll be able to help you better. And you will be able to improve much better. Knowing one's weaknesses is the best path to true strength."

Naruto scratched his head. "It kind of makes sense. You know, you really should be a sensei."

"Nah." Akimi shook her head. "I don't really like to socialize that much. Well, now, why don't you show me around?"

Naruto nodded. "Let's jump on the roofs. I'm going to give you Konoha's tour! Uzumaki style, dattebayo."

* * *

"I wonder why they don't teach us Fūinjutsu at the Academy. It's really cool." Naruto said, opening the door of his apartment for Akimi. "I mean, thinking about all you bought – and it's all in your pockets!"

Akimi laughed. "It's probably the most complex ninja art. It's best taught one-on-one. Since the most common seals are the storage ones and explosives notes, that can easily be brought in ninja stores, and easy enough to learn anyway, they don't bother to normally teach it. But with proper training and imagination seals can be deadly."

"Can you teach me?"

She chuckled. "I had no doubts you would ask that. I'll do my best, Naruto-kun, but I'm far from being an expert – let alone to have mastered the Art." Akimi really liked the carefree spirit of Naruto and his seemingly endless warm energy. What she didn't like, were the glares of the people. _'Knowing Killing Intent would be nice, right now.'_

"So, I'm sure Iruka-sensei is at the Academy right now, want to drop by?"

"Why not?" Akimi nodded. "But first let me give some food to Kaera. We can eat at Ichiraku for lunch and I'll cook you some dinner."

"No ramen?" Naruto pouted.

"Eh, at least give it a shot. I assure you I can cook edible food!"

"It's just that ramen..."

Akimi sighed. _'Well, looks like it will be difficult to introduce him to different type__s__ of food. Oh, my.' _"All right. You can have your ramen, if you must. Now give me some time and I'll be ready."

* * *

Iruka Umino was a chūnin of Konoha, and a proud instructor at the Academy. He had no actual desire to become a jōnin, because he enjoyed teaching so very much. He had no real favorite student, even though in the past year he had come to like Uzumaki Naruto a lot. Sure, the kid was a prankster and not a model student, but he was a good kid. Iruka treated him to ramen from time to time. He was sorry Naruto hadn't passed the exam, for the second time, because he could see some potential in the kid. However, rules are rules. He hoped that the boy could get past this defeat and improve.

He was revising the files of the graduated, so that the Hokage could evaluate them to create balanced teams, when the door opened violently. He knew it could be only one person.

"Ohi, Iruka-sensei! What are you doing, dattebayo!?"

Iruka rubbed his forehead. _'As loud as always, aren't you, Naruto?' _

"I think he is working, Naruto-kun." said an impassable voice from the doorframe.

Iruka looked at the girl with sincere curiosity. She moved almost like a seasoned kunoichi. He could see she was subtly observing the room and him. She smiled politely at him.

"Who is your friend, Naruto?" asked Iruka, surprised. _'He never mentioned her...'_

"This is Akimi-chan, sensei." exclaimed Naruto. "She is my new friend! I met her yesterday while I was training and..."

"...I was looking for the entrance of the village, so Naruto-kun helped me." interrupted Akimi, coming into the room. "Katora Akimi, pleased to meet you, Umino-san."

"Likewise." Iruka nodded. _'She is wary and reserved. It's basically the opposite of Naruto.' _"How can I help you?"

"Sarutobi-sama has allowed me to enroll in the Academy. He knew my grandfather and so he trusts I have some basics skills. I have requested to start at second year so I can be with students of my age. Sarutobi-sama said to ask you about the curriculum, so I'll be ready to be evaluated."

"I'll be right back, I have a copy of the required tests in the teacher's lounge. Something else?"

Naruto threw a fist in the air, in one of his typical gesture. "Can you get me the results of my exam, Iruka-sensei? I want to see what I did wrong, dattebayo!"

Iruka gaped. _'What? Is this really Naruto? That's... unexpected.' _"Certainly. I'll be right back."

After the man left the room, Naruto smiled at Akimi. "See, I told you Iruka-sensei is cool."

"He seems to be a very intelligent shinobi, Naruto-kun." the girl replied.

"Why did you stop me from telling him how we met?"

"I'm sorry." Akimi said. "He is one of your favorite people, isn't he? I didn't want you to lie for me, but really I... I don't usually trust very easily."

"You seemed fine with the guards yesterday and with oji-san and with me..."

"I could not avoid explaining things to the guards. Grandfather told me I could trust Sarutobi-sama with my life. And you saved my life. That's an exception. Just give me some time. I'm sure I'll come to trust Umino-san as you do, Naruto-kun."

"You use way too many honorifics, Akimi-chan!" Naruto laughed. "It's so weird."

"You know, I could be thinking the same of you **not **using any honorifics." Akimi replied. "Did you think about that?"

Naruto stopped in his tracks. "Does it bother you?"

"Not really. That is the way you are. Does it bother that I do use them?"

"No." He thought for a second. "As long as you don't call me san ever again."

She giggled. "No, don't worry. You got me to call you Naruto-kun. It will be very difficult to make me stop now. Probably I'll do it only if you anger me."

Naruto took note of this. "Like as a warning, or as 'it's too late, now, I'm going to burn you to ashes'?"

Akimi laughed harder. "As a warning. I'll use –san when if I ever need to warn you that I'm going to _burn you to ashes_."

Naruto laughed with her. In that moment Iruka came back.

"Here we are, kids." he said. "Here is the Syllabus. The Konoha Library has an entire section with books on sale, Akimi, so you can find everything there. Naruto, I'm proud you want to learn from your mistakes, here is the report."

"Thank you, Iruka-sensei! You'll see I'll be Hokage in no time, dattebayo." Naruto exclaimed, taking the papers. "And now let's go have ramen, dattebayo!" and he run out from the room.

"I look forward to learning from you, Umino-san." Akimi said instead, bowing her head respectfully. "I better reach Naruto-kun, before he eats all the ramen at Ichiraku's." And she calmly left.

Iruka chuckled. "How very interesting. And now let's sort out these bloody reports!"

* * *

Akimi realized how true was her statement that eating ramen was Naruto's way of comfort, when she saw how Teuchi-san and Ayame-san treated the boy. The old chef treated him like a son. The waitress shot her an appraising look – really she was almost scared – behaving just like you expect a protective older sister to do.

Nevertheless, the two were very warm and friendly people. In fact, as soon as Ayame realized she had no intention to harm Naruto in any way, she immediately became gracious.

"So what can we get you?" Ayame asked.

"Three miso, two pork and one vegetable, dattebayo." exclaimed Naruto. "No, make that four miso."

Akimi looked at him, flabbergasted. _'What the hell? Where does he put all that food?' _"And you, Akimi?"

"One vegetable and a chicken one, please. Some water to go with it."

"You got that, dad?" Ayame screamed.

"Coming right away! One miso and one vegetable!"

"So what do you think of Konoha, Akimi?"

"It's a very warm and welcoming place – mostly." Akimi frowned when thinking about the way most people treated Naruto. "I really like it here. It's a serene village. And a very beautiful one. I hate cities really, and small villages around Hi no Kuni aren't so... harmonious."

"So you and your grandfather didn't have a stable home?"

Akimi didn't answer immediately. "We did. But my family has always had the tradition of wandering, as a way to gain knowledge. Nevertheless, I think it will be a very beautiful experience to stay in one place. Well, at least until I don't graduate."

Ayame nodded.

"Don't you worry, Akimi-chan!" exclaimed instead Naruto. "You will enjoy yourself in Konoha like never before. I'll assure you, dattebayo. You'll have a blast."

"Just don't do anything too drastic, Naruto-kun." replied the girl.

He laughed in response. "Where would be the fun in that?"

* * *

**That afternoon...**

After lunch, Akimi basically forced Naruto to take her to the library. Then, they returned to his house. They were now on the roof of it, lying on an old blanket.

Akimi sighed. "Why do you want to become Hokage, Naruto-kun?"

"Because the Hokage it's the best ninja in the village. Everyone respects him! I'll surpass all of them. I'll become the greatest Hokage and everyone will see how awesome I am and will finally acknowledge me, dattebayo."

"I see." Akimi smiled. "It's a very difficult goal you have, Naruto-kun, but for some reason I'm inclined to believe you will do just fine."

"I'll become Hokage, dattebayo! And I never back down on my word."

"Yes." Akimi chuckled. "But it's going to be a great deal of work."

"I know, dattebayo. First thing I'll learn those awesome jutsu of yours – then I'll be a step closer to Hokage!"

"You know, power is not measured by the amount of jutsu you know. Mostly is the way you use them and why you fight that really matters." Akimi said. "That's why the weakest techniques are often the more useful."

"I just don't get it. I mean what good can a Bunshin do. High level enemies will be able to easy detect them anyway."

"You are right. But you should look at it more widely. Bunshin are excellent way to learn how to control chakra, for one. Besides, it's very useful against a great number of weaker opponents."

"Yea, I think I get it."

"Strategy is one of most important things for a ninja. Gramps always told me that planning is fundamental, as long as you don't let yourself be too bounded by your plan."

"Huh?"

"Look, you want to become Hokage, right? How do you plan to do it? You need to find yourself a series of intermediary goals. Say becoming genin, then chūnin and so on. Again, when gramps started to teach me, I was too young to effectively learn a taijutsu style. So he devised games to build up my strength and stamina, and then taught me some basic stances and katas."

"And the part about not being bounded?"

"You always need to expect the unexpected. If you trust too much in plans, then you will never be able to adapt. You need... flexibility."

"Wow, you really know your stuff, Akimi-chan."

"Not really. I have a good memory. I'm mostly telling you what gramps taught me."

Naruto got up, jumping a little. He really was hyperactive. "Can we start, Akimi-chan, can we start?"

"Yes, we will start. We will make a plan." Akimi said. "Now sit down, please. What about we go over your report?"

The boy nodded and she started browsing the small brown folder.

"Right, according to this report, you could have passed the exam if only you did a Bunshin. You are good at taijutsu, you suck at genjutsu, and you can do Kawarimi and Henge just fine. Academics is another sore spot, you seem to have good stamina. From what **I **have seen, you are very good at stealth and have quite the good aim. Moreover, you are smart, you simply lost yourself in your mask."

"I may be smart, Akimi-chan, but I really don't want to study books or stuff."

"Really, you should suck it up and do it nevertheless. Obviously, academics aren't your strong point, but, Naruto-kun, this is the precise reason you have to work on it."

"What good would they do anyway?"

Akimi chuckled. "They help improve your mental sharpness. In terms of raw strength, they also contribute to increase the spiritual energy of chakra."

"I still don't like it."

"I don't like physical training, but I still do it. Besides, you should try, you may like it."

"Yeah, but what about things like history, geography and such...? What good would they do in a fight?"

"None. But life is not only a fight, Naruto-kun. High level ninjas are often sent on diplomatic missions. There, a good knowledge of culture is very useful. You want to become Hokage, right? You know that Sandaime-sama is known as "The Professor" among other nicknames? Is this reason enough?"

Naruto snorted. "Probably."

"Damn you are stubborn. Right. Let's drop it for now. Next: try to do a Bunshin for me."

The boy grunted a little. He did the required seals. Slowly. Akimi noted this. _'We need to speed up our fingers velocity and dexterity. I'm not very quick myself, but he is slower than me.' _Ram. Snake. Tiger. Naruto focused his chakra and said: "**Bunshin no Jutsu.**"

A cloud of smoke enveloped the roof. Akimi coughed a little, waiting patiently for the smoke to clear. When he did, she noticed a couple of... well, Bunshins, on the ground. But they were grey and dead looking.

"Stupid jutsu!" spat Naruto.

"Oh, my." said instead Akimi. "It was as I thought. You have too much chakra, Naruto-kun."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I only sensed a level of chakra greater than yours two times: my grandfather and Sarutobi-sama. Not even the ANBU... you could say that the average Academy Student has a level of chakra of, say, a glass. Average genin, a bottle. Maybe more. But you have a bloody barrel!"

"Isn't this a good thing?"

"It is. You are basically a powerhouse! But you lack control." Akimi explained. "You need a very small amount of chakra to do a Bunshin. Going back to my metaphor, I would say – half a glass, if not less. But when you try to fill this small glass you simply pour too much chakra. And the result..." she pointed at the grey clones.

"Damn!"

"Damn?" Akimi laughed. "Knowing what the problem is, usually means you halfway there. We need to improve your control. And boom, you'll do Bunshin in no time."

"Is control so important, Akimi-chan?"

"Power and control are the two pillars of every jutsu, Naruto-kun. The more control you have, the easier it will be to do them. You may be a powerhouse, but if you waste too much chakra, you'll lose your advantage."

"I see."

"Well, what kind of control exercise do you know?"

"... Leaf balancing. But I suck at that – the leaf always is shot away from me."

Akimi nodded. "Again, the exercise has been created for normal Academy Students. We'll need to pass into more complex exercises. But I think it's best if we wait for my house to be ready. A private training ground will be good."

"Why?"

"Naruto-kun, deception is a ninja's greatest weapon." explained Akimi. "Gramps dressed like a normal, harmless old man. When his opponent was busy laughing at him, he struck. And trust me, he rarely needed a second shot."

Naruto grinned. "This is great. It's just like a great big prank."

Akimi nodded. "And it's just another example of why observation is so important for ninja. You always need to have an open mind, expect the unexpected and never, never underestimate an opponent." she explained. "I swear gramps beat these things into me. He always kicked my ass during spars." she said fondly.

Naruto seemed to notice her sadness. "Let's do something, Akimi-chan, I'm tired of talking!"

Akimi smiled. "What about a game, Naruto-kun?"

And so Uzumaki Naruto was subtly introduced to the joy of strategic games.

* * *

**October, 26th 211**

"No, absolutely no!" Naruto screamed.

"Come on. It's very useful training technique, I'm telling you."

"There is no way I'm sitting still for so long! Doing nothing!"

"Meditation is not doing **nothing!**" Akimi exclaimed, clashing her hand near the shogi table. "It's a very complex technique, that includes becoming aware of yourself and your surrounding and, in our case, of our chakra. Through meditation you can increase your spiritual energy in the same way your physical energy is increased by exercising. Another way of meditating is becoming more aware of your chakra, training to get in touch with it. That's your goal, if you become more familiar with how your chakra feel you will control it better."

"I'm not convinced, dattebayo."

Akimi remained silent. After all, she had convinced him to eat something besides ramen – and she was very proud of that accomplishment. She also managed to make him read with her a book about Konoha history. _'There is no way the Hokage can't not know about the history of his village, baka!' _"Make your move, Naruto-kun." she merely stated.

Naruto smirked at his small victory and moved one of his paws in an apparently stupid way. The boy had greatly improved in a mere week. Akimi had learned not to underestimate his strange strategies. '_He __is__ a most surprising tactician!' _"Really, I don't know how you do it."

"I'm sorry?"

"You are very good at disrupting my strategies. You will be a very dangerous opponent once you get enough experience. Very, very good at tactics."

"Aren't tactics and strategy the same thing?"

"In essence, yes. But strategy is a long term plan. Tactics a short one. You are basically very good at thinking on your feet, and in a very surprising way. But you still lack more strategic thinking. The games are making you improve, though."

"Really? You are the best teacher ever, Akimi-chan."

"Thank you. If so, don't you think it would be better to try mediation as well? After all, you told me how strategy will help you make better pranks."

"And meditation will allow me to be a better ninja?"

"Indeed."

"You just lulled me in a sense of false security, making me believe you dropped the matter and changing the topic completely while your goal was making me accept all along?"

"Indeed."

"You are a mean opponent in mind games, Akimi-chan."

"Don't worry, you'll be able to keep up with me in no time."

"Yeah, believe it, dattebayo!"

Akimi giggled and moved one of her pawns as well, when someone knocked at the door.

"Come on in!" exclaimed Naruto. "Ohi, oji-san, shouldn't you be dealing with your paperwork?"

Hiruzen sweat dropped. "Thank you for reminding me, Naruto-kun." he said. "But I took a break."

"Any reason you are honoring us with your presence, Sarutobi-sama?" asked Akimi, respectful as always.

"Actually, I've come to give you these." the old Kage threw at her a small, tingling object. Akimi caught it with ease, seeing they were keys.

"The house is ready?" she exclaimed, happily.

"You can move in as soon as you want."

Akimi jumped on her feet, in a rare show of excitement. "I'll go collect my things!" she exclaimed. She stopped though, noticing Naruto's expression had dropped. "'to-kun?" she asked. "What's the matter?"

"Nothing, 'mi-chan." he said. "Don't worry."

Hiruzen frowned as well.

"Ehi, I'm sure worrying is somewhere very high in the list of a friend's jobs." Akimi said. "So, start talking."

"It's stupid."

"I've lived with you for a week, I can handle stupid."

Hiruzen chuckled softly.

"That's the point. It felt so... good living with someone else. Almost like I wasn't alone anymore."

"Oh, Naruto-kun." Akimi said softly. She got near him and hugged him.

Hiruzen felt as if he was intruding in something very private. _'Minato, Kushina, they remind me of you two so much. Even though their personality is kind of switched.' _

Akimi looked at the Hokage from the embrace. She tilted her head with a small grin. In time, those closer to her would learn it meant she just had an idea. "Is this house yours, Naruto-kun?" she asked.

The boy looked at the Hokage as well.

Hiruzen smiled. "I've rented this apartment for Naruto. The cost is actually deducted from his monthly allowance."

Akimi nodded. "And you are his guardian, right?"

"It is my job to take care of all orphans, yes. I usually delegate this task to the orphanage or to adoptive family, but until the day you become genins, yes, I'm the guardian of both of you."

Akimi grinned more widely. "Well, then, Sarutobi-sama, what if Naruto-kun comes to live with me in my house? There will be plenty of space, after all, and we can take care of each other."

Naruto looked flabbergasted. "Are you serious, Akimi-chan? I mean, I don't..."

"Shut up, baka. I still owe you, after all." she spat. "Well, Hokage-sama?"

The old leader looked at the two pleading faces of the children – three if you count the small cat Kaera which had come out from nowhere and started to purr at his feet. Hiruzen smiled. He couldn't have said no even if he wanted to.

"I think you should start packing as well, Naruto-kun. I'll tell your landlord you are leaving and from next month you will see a considerate increase to your allowance." Hiruzen smiled. "And now I really think I must go, before the paperwork becomes too much for me to handle."

"You should come to dinner, one of these days, Sarutobi-sama." Akimi said, with a bow. "I owe you a lot. And I promise you that there will be other food, beside ramen."

Hiruzen chuckled. "I may just hold you up to your offer. I'll let you know." he said. "I shall not keep you from your packing any longer, I'm sure both of you are eager to set in your new home."

"And to see the training grounds, dattebayo!"


	4. Chap 3 Let the Training Begin

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

_**EDITED: 26**__**th**__** January 2013**_

**LET'S START THE TRAINING!**

**November, 1****st**** 211**

The move had taken them more time than they had thought – and thank the Kami Akimi was very proficient in making storage scrolls – because they had to buy furniture for the house as well. Besides, Akimi had wanted to take it easy for a couple days, deciding she would start training again once Kaera-chan had recovered from her wounds.

Naruto had started to exercise (he had way too much energy) but had patiently waited for his friend. He also tried to meditate, but with scarce success.

Akimi greatest concern was to create a safe room in the house, a vault of sort. She chose the basement, where a great arched room was. She asked the Sandaime for help in drawing some protective seals, because she carried many valuable heirlooms and knowledge in that big scroll of hers. Once the vault was set up, she breathed in relief. The vault was so spacious that she used it as a storage room as well, stocking weapons in it. She also set up a fair sized library in it and a couple of chairs where to sit. Big bracers lit up the room. Her biggest priority was to learn how to make better seals, to further enhance the protection of room.

The rest of the house was elegant but not overly luxurious. The first floor had a very big living room, which gave to the patio/veranda and the small traditional garden. Akimi thought the place was perfect for meditation. Naruto thought that meditation was a drag. Then there was a fair sized kitchen, for the joy of both children. In fact, Naruto had found out he liked to cook – he got receipts from Teuchi, with the promise he would still be visiting Ichiraku often – especially together with Akimi. It was their shared hobby.

That, and training. Which brought them to their current predicament. They were standing in the middle of the house's private training ground, which was about 40 metric meters. A small river, around one meter wide, ran along the perimeter of the grounds. It was alimented by a waterfall in the northern side of the grounds, which also formed a small pound in the same area. Near the pond there was a small grove of tall trees. The rest of the grounds was a wide open space, with some targets for throwing weapons practice on the southern side. The whole training ground was delimited by a wall at least four meters tall.

Naruto had wondered how much money had Akimi spent on this, exactly, but she smiled at him and said: "My clan has had a least one Fūinjutsu master for generations. We were quite well off. I'm still well off, even though I bought this house."

Naruto insisted that he wanted to pay her a small rent. When she refused, he decided he would pay for groceries. "Fine, but don't buy only ramen, 'to-kun."

End of the digression.

Naruto and Akimi stood in the middle of the training ground, the girl going around the small training program she had elaborated. "First, we spar." explained Akimi. "This will get me an idea on how good you are at taijutsu... and if the Academy Style suits you, but I doubt it."

"Why not?"

"It's very basic. Only fools or lazy idiots don't develop their own style. The best way is to study the basics of one or more complex styles, and then adapt them to your person. It would be advisable to enlist the help of a Taijutsu masters as well, but there is no need for that yet."

"What style do you use, mi-chan?"

"Tiger Style. It's typical of my family. I also know some katas of the Fire Style, which is more a series of philosophical rules, really. They mix very well together. But I know eventually I will put my personal variations to them. We are all different, in size and skills and minds, and therefore thinking of learning a standard style is stupid."

"And useless."

"Exactly." Akimi smiled. "Let's get to it."

Naruto didn't wait a second to attack. He was definitely a brawler. He would be the heavy hitter of whatever team he wound up on, Akimi thought, parrying his first punch, aimed to her stomach. _"He is stronger than me. Well, it's expected. He is a male. His speed is not that much, though, we need to work on it. After this, I need to check if he has an affinity, so I can introduce him to the Philosophy of Elements." _Akimi jumped back and dodged a kick.

The Tiger style was created by imitating the way tigers fight and hunt. A tiger studies his enemies and tends to stealthy approaching them before dealing quick and powerful attacks. Of course, since this was a spar, an ambush wasn't possible, so Akimi simply parried Naruto's attacks, trying to understand his style. She recognized some of the Katas she studied in the few last weeks, the Academy Style. But it was bastardized, flawed. _"Like he learned __it __on his own. Which is more than likely." _After few minutes of Naruto's eagerly attacking her and her parrying, she realized three things.

1) His stamina was astonishing. He could easily tire her out – and the average genin (if not even higher level ninjas).

2) He was very spontaneous. Like in shogi, he had the strange ability to suddenly surprise you when you think you have got his pattern down. A more experienced fighter, like a jōnin, though, would be able to defeat him without breaking a sweat.

3) He had a lot of openings. His defensive stances sucked.

Akimi suddenly went on the offensive. She jumped back, using chakra to boost her speed, and then crouched down, before leaping at Naruto. She almost looked like... a tiger. She looked like she was aiming at his crotch, so the boy frantically ducked to the left. She stopped her charge and used one leg to rotate, launching a kick to his right hip. She followed with a jab at his stomach, then one at his head. Her blows were more powerful than the other girls at the Academy, but weaker than Sasuke's. She was very quick and her hits kind of stung, though.

Naruto realized she was more skilled than him. His only hope was to outlast her. He knew his stamina was greater. He jumped back, going to the defensive.

'_So he does know how to defend. Good. Maybe all that time playing shogi wasn't wasted" _Akimi tough. _"Let's make things more interesting.' _She charged at him again, this time going for a feint attack to his chest, to suddenly change direction and aiming a kick at his crotch. He managed to parry the blow at last minute, raising a knee. Which was a mistake, because Akimi's blow was suddenly more powerful. He lost balance and the girl immediately punched him in the guts – _'Damn, she wasn't that strong before!'. _When he hit the ground, she had put a foot on his chest.

"Nice spar." she said, showing the seal of reconciliation. She gave him a hand.

"Thanks." he said, a little sore for the loss.

Akimi smiled, a little flushed. She sat on the ground. "You have more potential than me in taijutsu. I'm more a long/mid ranged fighter, you are... a powerhouse melee fighter. You have great stamina, decent strength and with right training you can cover up your flaws. Namely, you defense is kind of poor and your speed can be improved. Your basic instinct is to run head on in a fight, but you showed tactical thinking at one point, when you retreated."

"I saw I wasn't able to outsmart you, but you were tiring. So I thought I could tire you out."

"Yeah, good thinking." Akimi praised.

"Yeah, but then you surprised me... I didn't expect your blows to be so powerful."

"Basic chakra enhancement. That's the Fire Style. And a simple example of how making you opponent underestimating you it's good. But not always. Sometimes wasting time means you are dead."

"How do you tell the difference?"

"I suppose only experience can help... but in spars is good not go immediately all out."

"You mean like studying your enemy and observing..." Naruto said. "Yeah, I think I see your point now."

Akimi smiled. "I thought you would. By the way, most of the things I'm saying to you now come from my research. Research as reading books. Academics. Uh. Big surprise."

Naruto laughed. "I suppose I could help you from now on."

Akimi nodded. "I have lots of scrolls about taijutsu styles. You could go over them. See if you see one that appeals to you. Perhaps... well we'll talk about it tonight in the vault."

"You are bit paranoid, 'mi-chan."

"I'll explain to you why..." she looked around, suspicious. "In the vault."

Naruto laughed more. "Very paranoid. But it's all right. It suits you."

Akimi smirked. "Why, thank you. Anyway, as I was saying, I really don't think the Academy Style suits you well. It's too... simple for you. You need something more surprising. For now, anyway, I think it's best if we focus on the physical aspect of taijutsu. Well, I think we both can benefit from weight training. I have some devices for it in the vault. Once we get accustomed to it, then we can add resistance seals... but it will be a couple of months, if not more, before I learn how to do them."

"Resistance seals?"

"They make you quicker. Basically they make you feel like you were moving in water. Then sand and so on. Weights instead make you stronger."

"Got it."

"We can start with the weights tomorrow. We ought to be careful with them, if not we will hurt ourselves. We'll do taijutsu practice in the morning. Usual things. Laps, sit-ups, push-up etc. Then we practice our katas – yours are a little flawed, I think. Then we spar for an hour or so. Then we rest."

"Using the time for intellectual training, uh?"

"Indeed. We may play shogi, read, meditate... whatever. Then we have lunch." Akimi explained.

"Fūinjutsu?"

"It depends on how good you calligraphy is. We can work on it – in the evenings too."

"Calligraphy? That's sucks."

"Who knows, maybe you'll be surprisingly good at it. It may be in your blood."

"'mi-chan, is there something you are hiding from me?"

"Lots, actually. This night..."

"... in the vault. Yeah, I get it."

"I thought we should reserve afternoons is for ninjutsu. I'll practice genjutsu on my own, maybe in the evenings, caused I don't really think is your thing. At least not yet. You need way more practice."

"Yeah..." Naruto nodded. "It doesn't really suit me neither."

"Doesn't hurt to know some, though. Genjutsu usually required great control and small quantity of chakra, at least if compared to ninjutsu. But there are exceptions. Genjutsu with high chakra cost will be perfect for you. But I got sidetracked."

"Ninjutsu practice." he said, excitedly. "That's what you were talking about." he jumped a little.

She giggled. "Yeah. We'll focus on two things for now: chakra control and hand seals. The quicker you do hand seals the better it is. In battle you need to be swift, unless you have a distraction – like a team mate – to buy you time. And high ranked jutsu require lots of seals. Lots and lots of seal. Now, there are two things we can do. First, we need to improve our fingers' strength and dexterity."

Naruto frowned. "Dexterity?"

"Agility." Akimi explained. "We do so by playing with wire with our fingers. I'll look into some seal to this purpose, too, or in case I may design one. Then we practice our seals, each time quicker and quicker. Until we do them flawlessly. Next thing on our agenda is control... I've read of many exercises, but we'll start with tree climbing."

"I know how to climb trees."

"You don't say!" she said. "I mean with our feet. It will be like walking on the tree. Or any vertical surface, really. Walls, cliffs, anything."

"How on earth are you supposed to do that?"

Akimi shrugged. "Well, it's basically the same principle of the leaf balancing, but inversed. Instead of making the leaf stick to your forehead, you make your feet stick on the tree. It's obviously requires way more chakra, so they teach it to genins who graduate, instead that in Academy."

"Right, but we have enough chakra."

"You, my friend, are a walking powerhouse. I'll never get tired of telling you that. Me, I have trained for more than five years, so I do have more than your average genin, you know." Akimi explained. "Well, that is it. Once we'll master tree climbing we'll go on..."

"So you mean we'll spend the afternoon running on trees?"

"Trying to run on trees." Akimi corrected. "I don't think it will be so easy. And I need to practice my Katon jutsu, anyway, which I will try to teach you as well. Which reminds me." she gave him a frail piece of paper.

"What's this?"

"The paper comes from a tree that absorbed great quantities of chakra, thus is very receptive to it. If you run some of your chakra in it, it'll show your nature affinity, if you have one."

"If?" Naruto asked, perplexed. He was studying the piece of paper with a little skepticism.

"Affinities are usually hereditary. They are deeply linked to one's personality as well. Depending on how strong your affinity is, it will manifest sooner or later. Genin rarely have one. It is however possible to master another element using jutsu and specific exercises, but it's way more difficult. Your affinity grants your more power and ease in the respective techniques. So let's see what you are." "

Naruto grasped the paper with both hands and infused chakra in it. Akimi tilted her head in curiosity. The boy sighed. _'I bet I've got none...' _He opened his fist to reveal the chakra paper... completely shred to pieces.

Akimi whistled. "That's one strong affinity!" she smiled. "Usually it only gets split in two."

"It's wind..." Naruto said, scratching his head. Of course, two weeks before had known nothing about nature transformation, but he _had _started to read some scrolls. Akimi did have a knack to persuade people to seeing things her way. He had actually hoped for something cooler, like fire or lighting. "Wind. Mmm."

"Now, don't be disappointed." Akimi said. "It's the rarest affinity, especially in Hi no Kuni, and it suits you perfectly. It is the best element in close-mid range. It can cut thorough almost everything, and the only passable defense would be fire – if the jutsu is strong enough."

"I think you are just pleased because wind's is fire weakness."

"Yeah, now I totally own your ass." Akimi smirked. "But really, look at it from a wider prospective. That makes us highly compatible as a team..."

Naruto's eyes shined. "I can see... destruction."

"Don't get too overboard, now." Akimi said. "Flashy isn't necessarily good. Deception..."

"...is a shinobi greatest weapon."

"Ah, you are learning." Akimi brought a hand to her chest. "I'm so touched."

"Stuff it, 'mi-chan." The two kids had discovered how much fun they had bickering. Akimi loosened up around Naruto, but only around him. It was kind of frustrating how cold she got as soon as they left the house, but at the same time he was flattered to be the only one to see that side of her. Well, him and maybe the Hokage.

"Right. In any case, I think you'll have a hard time learning fire jutsu." Akimi stretched a little. "We should wait until you are more adept at chakra control. However, since you have such a great stamina, you'll be able to learn them without problems – I think."

"That sucks." Naruto sat down near her. "So basically I'll watch while you do nice and cool jutsu. I'll be stuck climbing trees instead."

"Don't whine. I have some scrolls on wind manipulation. You can learn some basic jutsu and do the starting exercise as well."

"I thought your clan was full of Fire users." Naruto frowned. "Why would they have scrolls on wind?"

"Fire masters, if you please." Akimi said. "And, I daresay, experts of nature transformation. Knowing only about fire would be a hindrance. If you know about other elements then you can work with them and around your enemy's jutsu."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if you stop at the basic scheme of strength and weakness you simplify elements too much. My clan has developed the theory that fire can actually mix well will all others nature. That's why we believe it's the strongest. But I'm kind of biased." Naruto laughed. "You see, 'to-kun, take water. If water clashes with earth, its weakness, the attack is usually simply annulled. Same with earth and lighting. What happens when fire clashes with water?"

"They annul each other?"

"Indeed. But it usually creates steam." Akimi smiled. "A Katon master can easily run into the steam without being hurt, because we learn how to withstand high levels of heat. But the Suiton master... well, he cannot. Of course, that kind of works only if the fire jutsu is strong enough. Otherwise, it would simply get obliterated."

"So you can use the steam as a cover?" Naruto nodded. "And fire is also in advantage with its weakness. Because earth doesn't get stronger if it clashes with water, but wind does strengthen fire."

"Indeed. Moreover, fire mix well with both earth and lighting also." Akimi smirked. "But enough about my element. I'll show you the simplest exercise for all nature transformation. You take a leaf." She did so. "Put it into your hands and try to make it react as the paper did. According to gramps, this is usually done by only high level ninja. But really, why wait? Especially since you have such a high affinity and stamina. It may be difficult, though, especially before you master basic control exercise." She showed him the leaf, which had turned to ashes in her hand.

He took a leaf as well. "So I just try to cut it."

"Yeah, but don't except great results... I spent two years trying to burn that bloody leaf."

Naruto's eyes popped out. "Two years?"

"More or less." Akimi tilted her head. "And I had a Katon master to help me out."

"Are you trying to put me down, 'mi-chan?" Naruto exclaimed. "It's not going to work! I'm gonna cut this leaf, dattebayo."

"I'm sure." Akimi smiled. "While you do it, I'll go over there. I'm itching to burn down something, and I swear I saw some logs that begged me to destroy them."

"I hate you!"

"Likewise" Akimi smirked. "Good luck, 'to-kun."

* * *

**That evening, in the vault...**

"All these scrolls?" Naruto exclaimed. Right, he had started to read something, and it wasn't bad, but there were tons of them.

"Taijutsu styles are in this pile." Akimi explained, indicating at least twenty of them. "You should just go over them and chose two or three to study in detail. Here there is some basic Nature Theory. Then an essay on Wind written by great-grandfather – he thoroughly explored Kaze no Kuni. And I think his wife had an affinity for wind. The rest are jutsu. Don't go overboard with them, please."

"Meaning?"

"Choose only one or two D-rank jutsu. Focus on them. Master them. It won't do you any good to know a lot of jutsu badly." Akimi sat down on one of the chair. She had exhausted herself that afternoon.

"Something wrong, 'mi-chan?"

"It's probably the way I've arranged this place... it reminds me of my clan's old house. And of gramps."

Naruto nodded.

Then, Akimi started to talk. She told him that her clan was maybe as old as Hi no Kuni. They were a secretive, secluded clan. Only the Fire Daymō, the Hokages and most renowned seal masters knew of them. They studied Fūinjutsu and the secrets of nature transformation. They had amassed a great knowledge thanks to their wandering members. Moreover, they had the remarkable ability to regenerate chakra faster than the average shinobi. Much faster. "We lived in a place called The Valley of Golden Flames. Enkounkin no Tani. Enkounkin. That's my true name."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "What about Katora?"

"That's my grandfather nickname." Akimi sighed. "When gramps was young, he studied alongside another wandering shinobi. They were good friends, so eventually he showed him the secret entrance to the Valley. It was a mistake."

"He is the one who sent those bandits."

"Yeah. Kuroken. That's his name. He killed many members of my family, but eventually gramps was able to drive him off. Our seal masters worked to hide the entrance of the valley. It seemed to be working... but Kuroken found us again. When I was five." Akimi looked into nothingness, upset. "My parents fought him and defeated him. Gramps actually thought he was dead. Nevertheless, we were the only two of us left. Gramps and myself." she smiled sadly. "He was old, so he started to teach me. We wandered about, because gramps didn't think it was safe to return to the valley yet. Eventually, his summons cleared the place: it was safe to go back. We returned to our ancestral home a year ago. Then..."

"This Kuroken wasn't dead?"

"No." Akimi bowed her head. "He was hurt, mind you, a shadow of his former self... but he was alive. He and gramps fought – then gramps did something, I'm not sure what, a Kinjutsu, I suppose... there was this huge explosion and I couldn't see Kuroken anymore. Gramps was lying on the ground. Dying. He told me to escape to Konoha. He told me to empty the vault and run. He told me to live. And I did."

"How did you manage to seal everything off?"

"It was already set up, mostly. I sealed into the big scroll..." she indicated it. "... a lot of chests. It wasn't that hard. The hard part was to make the scroll lighter. I was ready to leave – I was paying my last goodbyes to gramps, when the bandits came. I don't know how many of them there were. I used Kawarimi to escape. Then I started running. Thank goodness Kaera knew the way."

"How?"

"Gramps told her. Kaera is very intelligent. Plus, she is a sensor: she can sense chakra. Right now, she knows only the basics, because she hasn't anyone to teach her. She is a summon, technically." Akimi smiled at the cat who jumped into her lap. "But she was dying, so gramps bounded her to me with a complex seal. We share chakra now and our lives are bonded. She can speak to me telepathically."

"Sugoi!" Naruto exclaimed. "But is she a tiger or what?"

"Yep, a Silver Tiger. They are experts in espionage. She is a cub right now and her growth seems to be very hindered on this plane. They are not supposed to get very big anyway. Thing is, Summons can change their size, but it costs lots of chakra."

"So your clan's summons are tigers... can you summon any?"

"I can't sign the contract until I'm thirteen. It's sealed in a locked chest."

"Why don't you use your true name?"

"Well, look how it ended the last time we thought Kuroken was gone. Until I'm strong enough, it's best if I stay hidden, don't you think? Thank the Kami Sarutobi-sama personally knew my granddad. I'm not sure how exactly, but they fought together during the First Great Ninja War, before he became Hokage."

Naruto was silent. "Why did you tell me?"

"You are my friend." Akimi smiled. "Besides, I felt like I was going crazy, keeping it all inside. Talking about it... it makes all better. A little, at least."

"I'll keep your secret, dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Of course you will." Akimi got up. "Come on now, I need to show you something."

Akimi brought him in a corner, where a small blue chest stood. It was softly glowing. Naruto immediately felt drawn to it. What truly surprised him, though, was the symbol on top of it. A spiral. A white spiral, much like the one he had on his right shoulder...

"I told you my clan studied Fūinjutsu. We would have been the best... if not for... Uzushiokagure. That hidden village had among his ranks the **finest **sealing specialists in the whole world. They were so good that they became feared, and their village was eventually destroyed during the Second Great Ninja War."

"Uzushiokagure..." Naruto said pensively. "I've never heard of it."

"Yet your village carries its symbol. It's on the standard jacket of chūnins and jōnins." Akimi tilted her head. "I wonder why... well, Naruto-kun, it's strange you don't know about this, because it's obvious that Uzushiokagure is your ancestral home."

"Uh?"

Akimi smiled at his confused expression. "The prevalent clan of Uzushiokagure was the Uzumaki clan, Naruto-kun."

"I have a clan?" Naruto asked. "Oji-san never said anything."

"Well, it's unlikely there are any other Uzumakis around. Few survived the destruction of the village and they scattered around the world. They probably changed name as well. It would make sense, would it not?"

He nodded, pensively. It meant he was upset.

"Probably Sarutobi-sama didn't want to give you false hopes, especially since he probably doesn't have any heirlooms to go with it."

Naruto frowned. "Still he could have told me."

"Yes." Akimi patted his shoulders. "Maybe he is waiting for the right moment. Give him a chance."

"Why do you have this chest?"

"We were allies, my clan and yours." Akimi said, solemnly. "A certain Kenshin Uzumaki, I don't know if it was a relative of yours, came to the Valley immediately after the destruction of Uzushiokagure. He was severely injured and died few weeks later because of his wounds, but he gave us that... a legacy for the Uzumaki. He told us there was at least one in Konoha and made us promise we would one day give it to them. And so we are here, 'to-kun."

Naruto tried to open the chest to no avail. "What the heck?"

"Use your blood." Akimi said. "Only an Uzumaki can open it. So you have to prove you are one, no?"

He laughed. "Of course." He bit his thumb. "Here we go, dattebayo." He smashed is blood on the spiraling symbol of the chest. With a small clack, it burst opened.

"... More scrolls?" he asked. "No cool swords or anything?"

Akimi looked at the content of the chest from over his shoulder, rising onto her heels. "So it seems." she said, impassable. "Looks like you are going to have to get used to reading, 'to-kun. This is your legacy."

Naruto sighed. "Well, at least I'll know where I came from."

"Indeed." Akimi shook her head. She put a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, now, we'll have plenty of time to look at them later on... how about we go to Ichiraku's tonight?"

The boy grinned immediately. "Absolutely yes. Dattebayo!" and he ran out of the room. "What are you waiting for, 'mi-chan?"

She laughed. _'At least it easy to make you happy, Naruto-kun.' _She thought, following him.

* * *

**November, 2****nd**** 211**

Akimi was panting a little. _'How on earth is he not exhausted? He has got to have double __the amount__ of my weights.' _She had several set of training weights in the vault. She had opted to small wrist and ankles wraps, red for her and orange for him. (Why she had a pair of orange ones, was a mystery). She set hers to five kilos each. Naruto too, but he also got one of the weighted shirts.

"How do you have so much energy?" she wondered aloud. "I can't just understand it.". They had run twenty laps around the training grounds.

"Dunno, dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed. "You'll get used to the weights in no time, 'mi-chan. Do you want something to drink?"

"It's fine." Akimi said. "Give me five minutes. Then we can go on."

"Mind if I run a little more?"

"Yeah, go ahead." she said. "Stamina freak"

Naruto leaped away from her, laughing.

The Taijutsu training was completed and a quite interesting spar later, with an exhaust Akimi staying on the defensive, with Naruto attacking relentlessly, the two kids were laying in the garden, studying. This time, they role were inverted, with a beaming Akimi and a scowling Naruto.

Nevertheless, the blond boy had found a couple of interesting scrolls to gain inspiration from. One involved the integrations of elbows and knees steadily into the fighting stances. The other was basically the application of the idea that "Attack is the best defense". Since Naruto had quite the stamina and resilience, not to mention the ability to heal quickly, it was quite perfect. He had gone through the other scrolls, but found nothing of interest. He was now studying said styles.

Akimi was busy learning some advanced scroll on Chakra Theory. She was convinced that her understanding of chakra would give her more and more power, but also that she would never stop learning about it. Chakra was the eternal mystery of the ninja world.

Naruto managed to last for an hour. "I'm bored."

Akimi didn't even raise her eyes. "You don't say."

"'mi-chan!"

"Look, why don't you go prepare something for a snack? I'll finish this scroll in the meantime, and then we can have a couple of games and I can test your calligraphy."

"You are on, dattebayo!"

Akimi watched with her arms crossed as the enthusiastic Naruto ran towards the tree trunk. He was going quite fast. Then he jumped on it and tried to climb over it... failing miserably. He was violently blasted backwards, his feet leaving burning marks on the cortex.

"All right, there, 'to-kun?"

"Yeah." Naruto said, getting up. He massaged his head. "Just a little sore."

"That's what happens when you use too much chakra."

"These control exercises suck, Akimi-chan. I mean, yesterday I didn't even scratch that leaf."

She smiled at him, kindly. "Nature transformation is very difficult. You'll get it. Now, I think it's wiser to test the waters a little, before leaping."

Akimi slowly went and stood below her chosen tree. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her hands forming the Ram seal. She focused a small mass of chakra on the plant of her foot. Then she raised it and put it against the cortex. It didn't adhere. "Mmm." she said. "That is too little."

"Why aren't you running, 'mi-chan?"

"Cause I don't have your stamina. I'll prepare and observe before trying. But you go ahead, 'to-kun."

Naruto looked at her and did as she asked.

For the next hour or so, they went along this way: Naruto ran against the tree, managed to do some steps, and then fell back; Akimi focused her chakra and moved a simple foot onto the tree, without actually trying the exercise. But, eventually, she stepped on the tree with both feet and stayed in balance for almost a whole minute. Then, the alarm she set rang.

"Whoa, Akimi-chan!" Naruto exclaimed, a little battered. "How did you do it?"

Akimi smiled. "Feet are the most difficult place to focus chakra. First, I tried to get the hang on it. Then I tried to make my feet stick on the cortex. When I was satisfied, I made my step. But it's quite difficult to maintain it. What about you?"

Naruto indicated his trunk. The highest mark was a third of the length of the tree.

"That isn't half bad for the first try." Akimi smiled at him. "And now let's go through hand seals practice."

"I think I'll get bored."

"You always do, if we don't do anything physical. Shut it, Naruto-kun!"

* * *

**November, 29****th**** 211 **

Akimi and Naruto had rapidly fallen into a small routine. They trained during the week. During the week-end, Naruto took her around the village. They went to visit the Hokage, and sometimes Iruka. They ate at Ichiraku. Naruto did some pranks around town, she visited the library. Akimi even met some of Naruto's _buddies_: a lazy boy with pineapple-like hair, who always hanged out with a chubby and goodhearted kid, and a loud energetic kid with a white puppy (fortunately Kaera wasn't there. She did hate dogs). Naruto was trying to get her to drop her cold exterior, but with little success.

The training, however, that went greatly. Akimi was amazed on how quick Naruto was to pick up his chosen styles. He was good in Taijutsu. He had a great "fighting instinct." He was by no means graceful, but he was very effective. He had quickly surpassed her and he was now helping her improve, not the other way around.

He was very adept at Fūinjutsu as well. He had a great understanding of seals, albeit in a different way from her. "They are like riddles, Akimi-chan. I think we simply arrive at the same solution in two different ways. But the end result is the same."

Akimi couldn't wait to elaborate their own seals, she could see that they worked well together in sealing as well. Naruto was very creative, but she was better than him in the technical aspect of them. Namely, the actual drawing of the seals. His calligraphy wasn't good enough yet, while Akimi's learned to be a perfectionist since she was little, under her grandfather strict guidance.

Akimi had also started going over the Syllabus of the first and second Academy years. She also insisted Naruto study along with her. She was trying to make him understand how a ninja could benefit from academics. She was slowly getting through his thick skull. She had also managed to limit his ramen consuming to four times a week. He sure as hell ate lots of it, but at least he also had vegetables and meat as well. She thought he was slowly getting taller, but said nothing. Height was a sore spot for him.

Their shogi games were fantastic. They were quite balanced by the fact that Akimi was better at strategy, but Naruto was an extraordinary tactician. They both learned from each other in that.

"In a real life situation, 'mi-chan, you'll make the first plan against a potential enemy with the factors we know at the beginning." Naruto said once.

"And then you'll do tactics during the fight. Your unpredictably will be your true secret weapon, 'to-kun."

Ninjutsu was the favourite ninja art of both of them (Akimi having it tied with sealing). The girl learned the tree walking exercise in two weeks, but she kept doing it to increase her reserves. Naruto was faring worse than her, but he was slowly coming around, probably because he was very, very stubborn. Sometimes he did make to the top of his tree, but could not stay there for a long time. Eventually, he managed to do it.

He wanted to move on, but Akimi said that they had not yet mastered the exercise.

"One, we need to be able to do this without thinking. Two, we need to be able to do this for a long period of time, continuously. Three, we need to be able to do this with our entire body." And she pointedly sat upside down on the tree. She lasted two minutes, and then fell down. She turned in midair to land on her feet. "See?"

Naruto snorted.

"How is mediation going?"

"I can't do it."

"I'm looking for some seals to help you." Akimi said. "I think I'll have to create them. They would shock you if you don't stay still."

"That's just sadistic of you."

She leered at him. "But it would work. You need to learn how to restrain your energy. You can't **always **run head on into a situation." she said, sitting down. She started going through hand seals for practice. "How is your elemental training going?"

"No cut. Not even the slightest hint of it." Naruto sat down beside her, starting to practice hand seals as well. He was slower than her. "But I'm starting to master the jutsu I chose. The one that goes with the weapons is coming down nicely."

"Good, good." Akimi tried to move her fingers quicker, but had to stop because she did the Horse sign wrong. _'Damn sign!' _"Try to focus in how you chakra feels when you do the jutsu. The hand signs mold chakra for you, you are trying do the same without hand seals in the leaf exercise."

Naruto nodded. "So it goes both ways? Mastering my affinity helps me in the jutsu, but mastering jutsu helps me in understand my affinity." he swore when he did a couple of signs wrong. "These seals of yours are mean."

Akimi had managed to modify a weight seal and put is on their hands, to strengthen them. It was hard to get used to it. "Yeah, but they will do their job." she smiled. "Not only for hand seals, but for taijutsu as well."

"I suppose so." Naruto said, focusing as to go faster. "'mi-chan, tell me how fire feels for you."

"You read about the Elemental Theory, did you not?" Akimi laughed. "There are many of them. They try to link an element to a specific trait of personality, feeling or such. I don't think there is actually a right definition. Elements feel different for everyone. Our perception changes things. And it's wrong to think that one element correspond only to one thing. Fire to me is many things."

Akimi stilled her fingers. "It's the warmth of friendship, love and family. It's the light that keeps you company at night. It's passion that burns strongly and uncontrollable inside of someone. Fire is emotion. That is why I'm always so cold, Naruto-kun, I don't want to lash out. I don't want to lose control. Because fire is mainly a destructive power, that causes death and sorrow. Each element has a fair and a dark side."

Naruto nodded. "And wind?"

"You are the wind one, 'to-kun, maybe you should try to understand what wind is to you."

"I'll think about it." he smiled. "What about other elements?"

"Water is linked to life and skill. It is fluid, ever-changing. As such, a true Suiton user is very adaptable. However, it also has a great destructive power. The true power of water lays in patience. In time, water destroys the strongest of rocks." Akimi stopped. "Earth is as well linked to life. It's not a surprise that Mokuton is the union of the two. But if water is always in movement, earth stands still. Earth is stability, defense, physical strength. Then there is Lightening. Lightening is fast, uncontrollable. It's mainly a destructive element, but it's fundamental to life as well. The brain controls the body through electric impulses after all."

"I see. So each element has a dark and fair side."

"Life power and destructive power, if you would."

"Water and earth are more easily connected to life, while Lightening and fire to destruction." Naruto stopped. "And wind its right in the middle."

Akimi nodded. _'He is on the right track.' _

"It's vital as we need to breath to live, but it's as destructive as a tornado as well. Wind can cut through everything, but it's fundamental to life. Yes. Wind is the comforting breeze that caresses our hair and the leaves of the village, but also the raging force that can blow them apart." Naruto smiled. "I see now."

"You are very much like wind, Naruto-kun. Very, very unpredictable and full of life. As wind changes its direction several times in one day, you suddenly do something that is unexpected. But at the same time your resolve, your essence is the same. It stays strong and can cut through everything."

"Wind is determination." Naruto grabbed a leaf. "When you do this exercise, you think of heat, do you not?"

"Indeed." Akimi smiled.

"Then I need to think of a blade. This leaf is not going to stop me."

Akimi nodded. "You are one step closer. I can see it."

And in fact, that evening, the start of a small cut could be seen in the leaf. Naruto jumped around the training grounds for at least half an hour, before Akimi managed to calm him down by offering to buy him ramen.

* * *

**December, 17****th**** 211**

Akimi had introduced the concept of "multitasking" to their training. As both of them were quite good at tree climbing, they now did their sit-ups and push-ups on vertical surfaces. They went through hand seals practice during their morning laps. All sorts of things.

Naruto had also started to grasp the concept of meditation. Probably because Akimi did finish her sadistic seal. Also because she suggested he did it in the evenings, when he was tired. For that purpose they both went through another set of physical conditioning, after Fūinjutsu practice. How delightful.

Akimi thought it was time to start with water walking. So they were, standing in front of the pond, looking intently at the water. Then, without any forewarning, Naruto leaped forward. To his credit, he did manage to stay balanced. For like ten seconds. Splash.

Akimi giggled. "That went well, 'to-kun!" she exclaimed.

Naruto remerged, shaking his hair dry in a dog-like manner. "Very funny, 'mi-chan. Show me what you have got!"

The girl tilted her head. She formed the Ram seal, as usual, trying to focus her chakra. She put her foot on the water. "Mmm."

"Get moving, 'mi-chan!"

Akimi shook her head. "You should learn to be... patient."

"You're afraid!"

"I can't believe I'm falling for this old trick." she sighed, before stepping onto the water. "Damn, this is difficult." She got used to the small, fixed amount of chakra required in the tree climbing, but in this exercise you had to change it continuously. It was quite tricky. In fact, Akimi promptly fell as well.

"Damn!" she exclaimed, getting out. "The water is cold."

Naruto laughed. "The sun is warm. It's good." And then he splashed her.

"What the hell, 'to-kun?" she shrieked in surprise. Of course she didn't wait for his answer and splashed him as well.

The two kids started a mock war, wrestling in the water and trying to put each other under. After a while, they got out of the water. They were soaked.

"That was fun!" Naruto exclaimed, taking off his shirt with a fluid movement. "Now, I'm gonna try again."

Akimi giggled, merely focusing Katon chakra all over her body. It was one of the simplest E-rank tricks. She only needed to make the Tiger seal, since she was quite good at nature transformation (considering she was ten.) "I could have dried your clothes as well."

"It's fine, the sun is warm and nice."

Akimi nodded, noticing that his skin was quite tanned. _"When on earth did he have the time __for__ tanning? But then again, I do have a very fair skin, so it's easier to be __tanner__ than me. Oh, my, in few years he will be very good looking. Right, I did not just think __**that!**__" _She tilted her head, observing his attempt at water walking.

"What the hell?" she exclaimed.

Naruto managed to do half a dozen steps, before falling down again. He laughed, coming out. "This exercise is more fun than the tree climbing. At least it doesn't hurt when you fall down. What's wrong Akimi-chan?" he noticed her baffled gaze.

"Naruto-kun, I think I saw..." she stopped. "Come over here, please, and mold your chakra."

The boy frowned but did as she asked. "Really, 'mi-chan, what's happening...?"

"On your stomach." she said. "You have a seal on your stomach."

He looked down. "What the hell?" he yelled. "I never noticed it!"

"It appears only when you mold chakra, and I doubt you have ever had the need to do so while bare-chested before." she observed, getting nearer. She kneeled down do examine it better. Her face was a millimeter from his belly. "Wow, it's amazing... I've never seen a seal so utterly complex and yet harmonious before..."

"... Er, Akimi-chan, you..." Naruto gulped. "You are kind of making me... feel awkward."

Akimi got up, giggling. "Now, that's something I wouldn't expect you to say, like... ever." she said, winking. Naruto blushed. "We need to discuss this. Why would you have a seal on your stomach?"

Naruto shrugged. "I don't know. Yet another thing that is kept from me!" he exclaimed, stamping his foot on the ground. "There is no way oji-san doesn't know about this... he knows everything."

Akimi scratched her head. "'to-kun, be cool. Storming into Sarutobi-sama's office and demanding answers is not the best course of action we can take."

"Why?"

"Right, we both trust Sandaime-sama greatly, but this – and the fact that didn't tell you about your clan – well, it is suspicious. We are shinobi, 'to-kun, we need to look underneath the underneath."

"If jiji knew about this and kept it from me, then he probably wouldn't give me answers, right? And he may do something do ensure we don't investigate this further..."

"It's a little bit of an extreme possibility, but it is one." Akimi was very serious. "Right, we'll put this in our 'to-do-list'. Discovering what that seal is. I'll copy it down this evening, in the Vault. We should discuss this only in the Vault, actually... it's safer."

Naruto nodded. "Right, I think I need to further cover this... bandages maybe?"

"Yes, good thinking. But we can wait until we finish practicing this exercise." Akimi scratched her head again. "Actually I think it would be nice to research or make some seals to prevent clothes from getting wet."

"Nah, that would have a massive chakra cost." Naruto said. "Besides, you can use Katon, right?"

"Yeah, but you can't. And you don't have problems of chakra, really..." Akimi shook her head. "Think about it, if you get wet in the middle of a mission it could be a problem. You'll leave traces more easily, not to mention hypothermia."

"It's an E-trick, for kami's sake. I can learn it."

Akimi nodded. "I suppose your right..." she said. "But I still wonder... could it be possible? To make a seal that reproduces a jutsu?"

Naruto eyes shined. "I think that's something worth looking into." he smirked. "After all we'll have to study advanced stuff anyway to understand that seal." he patted his stomach. "Right, I think I'm ready for another dipping!" And he jumped into the pond, making Akimi laugh.

"Where the hell do you take the energy, Naruto-kun?" she shook her head, before attempting the exercise again as well. Two minutes later she was wrestling with Naruto again.


	5. Chap 4 Academy Years

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

_**EDITED: 26**__**th**__** January 2013**_

_**Author's note: **_

_**1) ACADEMY**__: I've wondered a lot of times, how many years does the Academy exactly last? I don't think it's specified neither in the manga nor in the anime. Anyway, I decided to make it four years. Another problem there: Naruto failed the exam three times and yet graduated alongside the other rookies who also happen to have the same age. ? Therefore he probably started earlier, right?_

_In this story he started Academy at six. He attempted the exam when he was ten, then when he was eleven – just before the prologue in fact. I assumed he simply joined the class of the other rookies under Iruka-sensei after the first failure, before attempting the exam another time. Since he is friend with Akimi, he will actually wait another two years of courses before attempting the third time. So both Akimi and Naruto start here the third year of Academy, i.e. the second to last._

_2) __**HINATA: **__ In this story, Hinata plays a very minor part. In fact, she isn't the age of the other rookies. Don't get me wrong, I've got nothing against her. I think she is an all right character, but she just doesn't fit in the story. This way I can get the three original rookie teams, without having to make it four, which would cause to create at least three other OCs. It would just be... troublesome. I personally like the way Sakura has developed during the series, especially in Shippūden, so I could not "cancel" her. (nobody else would really suit as Tsunade's apprentice anyway). Ino is a part of the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, so I could not "cancel" her either. Therefore Hinata was the one to go. I may use her once I arrive to Shippuden (if I arrive there), but nothing is certain._

**ACADEMY YEARS**

**December, 29****th**** 211**

"Well, how did it go?" Naruto asked from the kitchen.

Akimi entered into the room, smiling. She shrugged. "It was like... easy?" she said. "Easier than I excepted, really. I asked Umino-sensei if I needed to learn the katas of the Academy Style and he said no. Thank the Kami, it would have been a total drag doing it."

"Did you just say drag?" Naruto laughed. "You spend too much time with Shika."

"Maybe so, but he is good at shogi and I do like myself a challenge. He is quite the amazing strategist. I think we should play him together. I'm tired to see his smug face when he wins."

"You are just a sore loser." Naruto said. "Come on, dinner is ready."

They were busy eating, when Naruto stopped suddenly. "So, I was thinking..."

"That's usually not a good sign."

"Funny. Very funny."

"What were you thinking about?"

"You know, the golden rule... deception is a shinobi greatest weapon." She looked at him with a "no kidding look". "So, you know how you asked me to drop the orange..."

"Yeah, the kill me orange." she said. "You can have some orange, but that is just... not ninja like."

"I know, I know..." Naruto smirked. "But I still have two years of the Academy, right. And I ought to enjoy myself while I have the time."

Akimi tilted her head. "So you are not going to drop the orange... yet."

"Yeah. Nor am I going to drop the mask." Naruto sighed. "You know how people are generally biased towards me."

Kaera growled, while Akimi herself clenched her fist. The girl was usually very controlled and everything, but man she was protective. He had had to stop her from going on a rampage on his account. More than once.

"Yeah, well, I don't want them to accuse me of cheating and stuff. It would be easier if I stay the dobe I used to be." he said. "Plus it's going to be a great prank. Imagine our jōnin instructor! They will expect me to be a dobe and then... puff, I'm going to kick their ass because they'll underestimate me."

Akimi actually smiled at this. "So you are going to act." She raised an eyebrow. "You're sure you can withstand it?"

"Sure." Naruto shrugged. "You are going to help me to remember that I am **not **my mask. We'll keep training and everything... in our spare time."

"If you say so."

"Well, it's not like you are going to show everyone what you really can do."

"Yeah, I'll downplay it a little, but there is no way I'm going to let those... those **fan girls **be better than me!"

Naruto chuckled. Akimi had made the acquaintance of the most remarkable members of their year. Or more like, Kaera had. Akimi had sent her trusty tiger out to fish for information. When she learned of Sasuke Uchiha and his cohort of fan girls she had been disgusted. By the fan girls. Fan girls who dared call themselves kunoichi.

"Do me a favor?" Naruto asked.

"Sure." Akimi smiled.

"Kick Sasuke's ass for me."

She laughed. "I think that can be arranged. I may become the first female rookie of the year, don't you think?"

"Yeah, you can totally pull it off."

* * *

**January, 3****rd**** 212**

Naruto, in his usual bright orange suit, stood on a branch, up the trees in front of the Academy, Akimi on his left. She was reading a book. No big surprise here, she was always reading unless she was A) training, B) sleeping, or C) having a very serious discussion. It truly was her outlet. She buried herself into her books whenever she felt sad, guilty, anxious or bored.

She had a great multi-tasking ability, so it was actually cool.

"I'm already bored."

"Four hours, sitting at a table while having to say still. It will be torture for you." Akimi deadpanned.

"Thank you for reminding me." Naruto groaned. "This is going to be... hell."

"You are maybe..." Akimi started, raising her hand her and distancing her index from her thumb. "A little, **tiny **bit melodramatic. The Academy isn't going to kill you." she turned a page.

"Well, I suppose I can train my stealth and trapping skills by pranking around."

"Just don't prank me."

"I don't really have a death wish."

Akimi giggled. "Shall we go then?" she asked. "Most of our classmates are already there."

"Have they...?"

"Yes, the **fan girls **have arrived and have already fought over the seats near Uchiha-san, so we should be fine."

"Let's go then." Naruto exclaimed, throwing a punch in the air. The two jumped down and entered the building.

* * *

There were more than 30 people in the class. But only eight really shined among them. (Both in good and bad ways of course). There was Naruto of course, but she knew plenty about him. Akimi knew Naruto the best, just as he knew her the best. That's what happens when you live and train together for months. For the other seven... reconnaissance had been in order. So, yeah, she had sneaked into the Academy's Archives. It was not her fault the security in the place sucked. Maybe she should tell that to the Sandaime. Well, whatever. Then, she sent Kaera to spy on the most interesting ones. Now, entering in the class, she observed her targets. Who goes first?

Sitting in the first row was the brilliant, dark and mysterious Uchiha Sasuke, rookie of the year, accredited genius of the shinobi arts, and magnet to fan girls. Naruto had claimed him as a rival, jealous of his fame, but his summer with Akimi had actually cancelled that rivalry. He was still going to act like it still mattered though.

Sasuke was only the first of a long series of clan heirs. There was Chōji Akimichi, a chubby, goodhearted boy with a passion for chips. He had probably the greatest physical strength of the bunch, but lacked confidence. He always hung out with Nara Shikamaru – the lazy genius. Despite his intellect, in fact, Shikamaru was the second last in the class (thanks to Naruto's pitiful performances). Almost as intelligent as him and even more mysterious than Sasuke, was Shino Aburame, who was always dressed in a green jacket, whose collar was up and hiding his face. He always wore sunglasses and was second in the class overall. Lastly there was Ino Yamanaka. Tall and with a lean form, blond hair, blue eyes... she was the most beautiful girl in the class and quite the powerful budding kunoichi... had it not been for her fan girl tendencies. Same could be said for the "kunoichi of the year", a Sakura Haruno. She was a civilian, which per se was amazing, displayed very good intelligence and an almost perfect chakra control. She was also Naruto's long-term crush. She had pink hair and violent tendencies and a very high-pitched voice, Akimi noted, since she was busy declaring her undying love for Sasuke.

The last one on her list was the loud and arrogant Kiba Inuzuka, second best in taijutsu (After Sasuke) and always accompanied by the trusty Akamaru, which granted him great potential as a tracker. He was the second child of the Inuzuka clan's head Tsume.

Akimi actually raised her eyes from her book on Fūinjutsu – she was going to break down the bloody seal on Naruto's stomach – and looked at the girl with a scornful gaze. _'That is pitiful. Does she even train at all? Physically, she looks like your average civilian.'_

"... Sasuke-kun, will you have lunch with me? I prepared it yesterday afternoon."

"Hn."

"No, Sasuke-kun is mine!" Ino shouted. "Hands off, forehead."

"Ah, Ino-pig, you always ruin everything!"

The two girls started to shout at each other, while Akimi sweat dropped. _'That's even worse than I thought possible...' _"Are they always like this?" she whispered, turning to her book.

Naruto sighed. "They are quite calm right now. Look, there are free places near Shika and Chōji."

"Let's sit down. Iruka-sensei is coming anyway."

"Yo!" Naruto exclaimed, popping down behind Chōji, in the last row. Akimi sat down beside him, behind Shikamaru, who was asleep on the table. (No kidding there)

"Hi, munch, Naruto, munch, Akimi." the boy saluted. "How is it, munch, going?"

Akimi raised her eyes and smiled at him. "It's a fine morning, thank you." she returned to her book.

"I'm in the last place I want to be. School is such an evil place, Chōji." Naruto whined. "And don't mind mi-chan. She isn't very social. Ow. Why did you do that?" exclaimed the blonde, massaging his shin. The girl could kick, damn it.

"Don't speak of me like I weren't here. It's rude."

He mumbled something in response, crossing his arms in annoyance.

"Ehi, guys!" a loud voice said. "Chōji, Shika, Naruto... gorgeous." A loud bark followed.

They all answered.

"Inuzuka-san" Akimi said, without raising her eyes. "Akamaru-kun."

"Nani? I'm san and my dog is kun?"

"I like animals." the girl said. "Mmm. That is interesting." she suddenly took out a scroll and did a hand sign making a small leather book appear. She then took out a pen and opened the book, taking some quick notes.

"Right, Akimi-chan is in her studious mode now, it's better to just ignore her." Naruto exclaimed. This time he managed to block her kick. "Fooled you." His smirked soon faded away. "Damn it, that is mean, Akimi-chan!" The girl had sent some Katon chakra into him upon contact and it stung a lot.

"Uh?" she asked, raising her head as if in confusion. "What do you mean, Naruto-kun?"

"Ahahaha." Kiba laughed. "Do you call the baka -kun because he is an animal too?"

Silence. Kiba trembled at the burning look in the girl's eyes. Akamaru whined. Akimi slowly put her book on the table. "You are going to regret that, Inuzuka-san." she said, with a glare. "Unfortunately, it will have to wait."

"Silence, class!" Iruka had arrived. "Today we will begin reviewing last year's Syllabus. But first, we have a new student who has joined us. Akimi, if you would rise, please."

"Hello, mina-san." she bowed.

"Care to tell us a little about yourself, Akimi?" Iruka asked, with a smile.

"Yes. Of course. My name is Katora Akimi. I arrived in the village three months ago – more or less. My likes include reading, my familiar Kaera and my friends. My dislikes include rudeness and many other things. Yeah, that's all." and she abruptly sat down.

"Thank you, Akimi, now, does any of you remember where we left off in our lessons about Konoha's history? Anyone?" Iruka asked. "Ok, Sakura, please go ahead."

* * *

The first day at the Academy finished. Many things had changed, yet many remained the same. Naruto had been reprimanded a lot of times, had pranked the two sensei and gotten his ass kicked by Sasuke. On the other hand, Akimi became the new focus of the class. Guys thought she was both strange and pretty and at least she didn't scream or punch like Sakura and Ino. She did kick Kiba's ass in taijutsu practice, though, after their name had mysteriously come out together. Those who heard her promise of vengeance were seriously scared of her now. She had also brilliantly answered every question the teachers asked her.

Naruto had realized how difficult it was to act all day. He was mentally exhausted once he and Akimi arrived home.

"Well, on the bright side, it's a great training for undercover missions." Akimi gave him a cup of hot chocolate. "But you don't have to do it, you know."

Naruto shrugged. "No, it's fine, dattebayo. Being smart would be much more difficult. Everyone would expect you to be at top and everything..."

"Well, if you say so." Akimi smiled at him. "Iruka-sensei _did _yell at you pretty badly."

"I glued him to his chair." Naruto smirked. "An old trick, and overused, but priceless."

Akimi giggled. "And that only on the first day. You are going to make his hair white by the time we graduate."

* * *

**April, 13****th**** 212**

That morning Iruka had introduced the class to Bunshins. When his attempt came, Naruto had produced the usual grey looking clones, even though they did manage to move this time. Both Sasuke and Akimi had the Jutsu down perfectly. The two were the true new rivals of the class. Or better, they were like Naruto and Sasuke reversed. Sasuke wanted to fight and defeat Akimi, and she honestly didn't care a bit about the last Uchiha. They were tied for best student of the class, though, which was quite surprising, especially for the Sasuke fan club's stupor (but not for Naruto).

"Right, what's bugging you?" Akimi asked, after she managed to punch him square in the chest. Naruto usually would have never been so distracted. "You have been out of it since this morning. You almost fell two or three times."

They were sparring on the pond. They always did so since they had mastered the exercise.

"The Bunshin." Naruto said. "It wasn't a deception. I still can't do it."

"Your chakra control has greatly improved. I mean, we are standing on water." Akimi frowned. "I can't believe it's still not enough to do it. I'll look into more advanced exercises... in the meantime we should try to multi task again. Like you could meditate sat on water while balancing a leaf on your forehead."

Naruto sighed. "Could work." he shrugged.

"Cheer up." Akimi smiled. "It's not like you to give up, right?"

"I just don't get it, 'mi-chan. I can feel my improvement in everything else. I'm about to complete the leaf cutting exercise. My Fūton Jutsu are coming along great. I can even feel how much easier is to perform Kawarimi and Henge, but the Bunshin..."

She sat on the water. "Maybe we can figure out a shortcut, even though you should still work on mastering Bunshin. I think there are some kinds of elemental Bunshin who require more chakra to work."

"Which elements?"

"Not wind and fire. You can imagine how difficult it would be to create them. To **control **them. No. I've read about Mizu and Tsuchi. Water and Earth. Well, I'll look into it."

"They are obviously stronger, dattebayo."

"Duh. They are solid, 'to-kun. They have usually a tenth of the original's strength. If not overcharged."

"Well, it could work." Naruto kicked the water. "But it still bugs me I can't do the regular Bunshin."

"Maybe you should try to create more than one or three Bunshin. Go overboard, for once."

"What?" Naruto exclaimed. "That is so obvious. Why didn't I think of that before, dattebayo!?" Naruto grinned and went through the required signs. "**Bunshin no Jutsu." **

A huge cloud of smoke covered them, making Akimi cough. Then she gaped. "That is... unbelievable."

There were Naruto's everywhere. On the tree, on the ground, on the river, on the pound. There were hundreds of them. And they were exactly copies of him. "Whoa, I'm about to have an orange overdose."

"I did it, dattebayo!" Naruto laughed happily. Then he looked around. It was kind of extreme. "Well, maybe I can work my way down to a more normal number?"

"Good idea. But if not, this will certainly grant you graduation!" Akimi hugged him. "Congratulation."

He hugged her back. "It's all thanks you, 'mi-chan. It's all thanks to you."

"Nonsense. You did all the work, I only guided you." she smiled. "You know, I think I'll still look into other Bunshins..."

"Yep. Solid clones would be totally awesome."

* * *

**May, 5****th**** 212**

It was Naruto's turn to make breakfast. He was worried about Akimi. She barely ate these days. Something was bugging her. _"Should I push her to confide in me, or wait?" _His doubt faded when he saw her. She was pale and had dark bags under her eyes.

"'mi-chan?" he softly asked.

She dropped on a chair, her gaze lost into nothingness.

"Akimi, you are making me worry." Naruto said, turning off the gas. He got near her, putting a hand on her shoulder. He squeezed a little. "What is it?"

Akimi's head fell between her shoulders. "Nightmares." she mumbled.

Naruto had a flash of when he first met her and the chilly scream that woke him up. _'I bet she put privacy seals around her room. Crafty, 'mi-chan, really crafty.' _"How long?"

"A week... I usually have them only now and then, but right now it's kind of a bad period."

"How so?"

"My parents died at the start of May. Memories get stronger and... it always happens."

"Yeah, but you had your grandfather before, had you not?"

"I suppose that's making it worse." Akimi nodded, looking tiredly at him. "I'm sorry I got you worried."

"You should have told me." Naruto put also his other hand on her shoulders. "If it happens again wake me up, right?"

"Naruto-kun..."

"I insist." Naruto smiled at her. "Now, screw Academy for today. We'll stay home, ok?"

"I..." she sighed. "... fine."

"Good." Naruto nodded. "That's how things go, 'mi-chan. We are friends, and we take care of each other. Come on, now, let's get you to bed."

And with a squeal of protest on her part, Naruto took her in his arm and brought her to her room bridal style.

Akimi spent the next few days in a quiet haze. Naruto dotted on her and shadowed her, studying her every move. It was kind of frustrating at times, but it worked. Eventually, she opened up to him, cried a little – Naruto never thought he would ever see her cry, and it was an unsettling experience. He hated to see her in tears and he swore he would try his best to prevent this to happen again.

Soon, Akimi was back to her usually knowing, sarcastic and impassable self. Nobody but the two kids really realized something had happened, but they could see their bond was even deeper than before.

* * *

**June, 28****th**** 212**

Naruto was outside practicing taijutsu. It was almost sunset, but he had a lot of stamina and wanted to exhaust himself in order to meditate a little. (He was seeing how much easier it was to focus and use chakra thanks to the boring exercise). Then he heard the scream. An exited, elated scream.

Akimi had discovered something interesting.

Last time it happened, she had figured out how to make resistances seals, which were quite difficult. She was fairly certain she was now at least at level 5, if not 6 in Fūinjutsu. Naruto was coming along nicely and was around level 3. He was a natural at sealing, but he lacked the discipline in doing the brush strokes correctly. He doubts he could use Fūinjutsu in battle efficiently. Akimi could though. End of digression.

"'mi-chan, what's up?"

Akimi was... _jumping _in the library. Even Kaera was watching her with wide eyes. And the two were telepathically connected, so...

"Naruto-kun, come here! Read this." she exclaimed. "I think I have just discovered our key to success."

The boy was puzzled. "I thought you were researching clones, dattebayo. They would be a great support, but..."

"Read the bloody scroll, Naruto-kun!"

"Yes, yes. Geez, calm down, woman!" he ducked her fists, reading the scroll.

_"__**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. **__B-rank, supplementary. Regular seal for Bunshin and a special cross sign illustrated below. This jutsu is a particular clone jutsu which evenly splits the chakra of the user among the clones __it__ creates. The clones are a construct of chakra and are solid exact copies of the original. As such, they can use techniques, weapons and can even bleed. They are dispelled by a heavy hit or upon the user's command. __This is a very dangerous technique due to the risk of chakra draining. Don't attempt to create too many clones, you may die. __Heavy usage can cause passing out or even death. Ps: since the __clones__ are exact copies of the original, they share __the __memories of their experiences upon dispelling. This rends the technique very useful for espionage purpose, but if overused can cause brain damage __from__information overload__"_

"Sugoi! Solid clones that can use jutsu, dattebayo!? But is it safe? It's a forbidden technique... how do you have it, anyway?"

"Sandaime-sama taught it to gramps." she smirked. "It was a specialty of his when he was young. Can't you see how golden this is?"

"You think I can use this without problems because of my massive reserves?"

"Indeed." Akimi smirked. "And you gain everything they learned."

Naruto's eyes shined. "This is fucking awesome."

"Yeah... language, Naruto-kun!"

He ignored her scolding. "Will you be able to use it?"

She smiled. "Not as heavily as you." Akimi rubbed her chin. "I have to figure out what is the minimum quantity of chakra required to create one functional clone. If I don't have it, I'll have to build up my stamina."

"Yeah, but if your clone only has a minimum of chakra will it be useful to you?"

Akimi smirked again. "They are **exact **copies of the original, with the same **abilities.**"

"Uh. Uh." Naruto jumped in excitement. "So you think that they... like you?"

"Yes. It is very likely." Akimi rubbed her hands. "This is **so **going to boost my Fūinjutsu training." she laughed manically.

Naruto sweat dropped. "Don't do that. It's scary."

"Come on, Naruto-kun, why don't you try the technique? If I see how it's done I'll have a basis for my calculations."

"You see, I'll have this jutsu down in no time, dattebayo!"

* * *

**June, 30****th**** 212**

"This is..." Akimi was gaping. "... this should not be possible."

Once again, the training grounds were covered in orange clad Naruto. Actually, there were less of them this time, but it was not less impressive, since these were... Kage Bunshin.

"I think this is my new favorite Jutsu." one Naruto – the original she assumed – screamed. "It's awesome!"

There was a chorus of "Dattebayo" from all the clones.

"Err... Naruto-kun?"

"Yes, Akimi-chan?" they all bellowed at once.

She almost winced. _'I think I've created a monster. My head is going to hurt for a long time. I basically dug my __own __grave... Wow, Naruto's melodramatic ways have rubbed off me.' _"Maybe you could talk one at time, please?"

"Sure!" one said, jumping in front of her.

"Are you the real one?"

"Maybe."

"Cut it off. I can punch you and see it from myself." she spat.

He raised his hands in surrender. "It's me."

"Yeah, good... do you feel tired?" He shook his head. "Dizzy? Do you have any chakra burnings?"

"I feel fine."

"Yeah, do you understand that any normal person would be passed out on the ground after dividing their chakra so many times?" _'Or more likely dead...' _

"I've read on my family scrolls that the Uzumaki had always had a very powerful chakra and longevity. Do you suppose is a kekkai genkai?"

"Could be. It would explain lots of things." Akimi nodded. "Right, Naruto-kun, I don't want you to use more than 100 clones in training. And have them do only few things. Say, a quarter work in chakra control, a quarter on jutsu and so on. If you aren't careful, the information overload will knock you out and maybe damage your brain as well."

"Got it, dattebayo." Naruto smiled. "Half of you, dispel!" They did so, creating a cloud of smoke. He groaned. "It's a little confusing..."

"All right there, boss?" the nearest Naruto shouted.

"Yeah." he rubbed his head. "All right. Divide in group of ten. First one, meditate on the pond and try to balance a leaf on your forehead. Second one, on the leaf exercise. Third, try to climb the waterfall. Fourth, practice our calligraphy. Fifth, go with Akimi-chan to study whatever books or scrolls she gives you. Then I want a group of twenty to work on our wind jutsu. The rest of you, with me. You get to throw weapons. I'll be the target, dattebayo."

"You are crazy, 'to-kun." Akimi smiled. "Be careful, clones dispel if their chakra runs out. And you should make them dispel in smaller groups." He nodded, before leaping away. _'Yet, I somehow doubt he listened to me.' _"Well, you lucky studious ones, come with me."

* * *

Akimi smiled as she reached the library. "Right, I think it's best if you focus on one topic. Actually, you could learn a part of a book, so that upon dispelling you won't give the original too much information. How does it work, exactly, can you tell me what the original is thinking?"

"We share the boss' memory up until the moment he created us." one said.

"Oh, I see. Tell me, is there anything you want to study, specifically?"

"Uh, no? We are here only because boss ordered us."

"Of course." Akimi snorted. "We'll start with these two books. They are a compendium of etiquette rules and a basic history of the five Great Nations. They will start you on the deeply complex and delightful concept of diplomacy. Divide the book among yourself."

"How?"

Akimi tilted her head. "Do you have enough chakra to split in two?"

"Sure, dattebayo."

"Right, catch." she said to one clone, throwing a book.

He did so.

"Now duplicate, keep the book on you"

"**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" **

Another Naruto appeared. He held an exact copy of the book in hand.

"Sugoi! You are a genius, Akimi-chan!"

The girl shook her head. "Duplicate until you have enough books. Then half of you will dispel, so only ten will actually read." she turned. "I'm going to the Vault. Behave."

She heard an explosion from the grounds. She sighed. _'Well, maybe in this way Naruto-kun will exhaust his seemingly infinite energy.' _

* * *

It was not so surprising, for Akimi, to found a passed out Naruto on the grounds that evening. "He forgot to make them dispel in little groups, didn't he?" she asked Kaera. The silver tiger had watched over the boy all afternoon.

"Meow."

"Yeah, I thought so. He does push himself too much, at times." Akimi kneeled down, putting a hand on his forehead. "He'll be fine tomorrow morning. I think I need to learn how to make our clan's special soldier pills. They will come in handy."

Akimi's sensorial abilities had greatly improved. As it turned out, she did develop them a little even without Kaera constant input. It was an effect of the bond. Kaera herself had an incredible easy time using basic fire manipulation, which granted her a little more of attack prowess.

"Thanks for watching over him, Kaera-chan. I shall not keep you for your explorations any longer." The little feline was more curious than a group of gossiping women. Thank the Kami, Akimi had learned how to filter their connection, or her head would be filled of a lot of useless information.

The tiger mewed again, and then leaped away.

Akimi smiled at Naruto's unconscious form. "Right, let's get you inside, 'to-kun."

* * *

**July, 1****st**** 212**

"So how do you feel?" Akimi asked, sipping her morning tea.

"Like someone pounded on my head. Repeatedly. But it's getting better."

"Next time you will remember to dispel them little by little?"

"You bet." Naruto gave her a thumb up. "I learned my lesson. Thanks for getting me to bed, by the way."

"You owe me. You're heavy." Akimi yawned. "On the bright side, I think I'll try to make **one **clone as well today, after Academy. And you will take it easy today."

"Fine by me. I think I should reduce the number of clones for the time being. Getting used to this information overload thingy."

"Good idea." Akimi nodded. "How did it go, anyway? Did it work?"

"Look." he produced a leaf, smirking. Then he proceeded to cut it in half.

Akimi whistled. "You got it down in little more than half a year. This is **very **impressive."

"How is your second stage coming around, anyway?"

Akimi shrugged. "I'm simply using more power, the principles are the same. I think the first step is the more difficult one, because you have to learn how the element feels and behaves. Then it's all a matter of power and control. I can burn down half of the log in one go. It'll get better." The next Katon manipulation involved burning a far sized log with only one steady flame. It required much more chakra in terms of raw power.

"What do you think I should do now, 'mi-chan?"

"Try to create cutting wind without the medium of leaf, first." Akimi said. "Then use it to cut objects of various dimensions. Logs, boulders, eventually metal. Then you can go to the next stage."

"The waterfall cutting. That will be difficult." he nodded. "What will you do when you finish this stage?"

"I have much more to learn. Naruto-kun, my family has pushed the limit of fire manipulation beyond normal. I have so many exercises to master. Next one would be melting metal. Then there will be controlled heating."

"Which is?"

"Basically I'll use a branch full of leaves, for starters. My goal is to burn the log without burning the leaves." Akimi explained. "Is the ultimate control exercise for Katon. It will allow me to use jutsu easily in battle without fearing to hurt my comrades."

Naruto nodded. "That would be... scary."

"Yeah." Akimi nodded. "My clan spent years to develop this technique. So I really don't know further control exercises for wind."

"Maybe I'll figure out something myself." Naruto shrugged. "I may already have a couple of ideas, but they'll have to wait. My priority is now to have enough control over wind to include it in my taijutsu style. I could call it the Cutting Eight Limbs Style."

"How very theatrical of you." Akimi giggled. "It will be actually a devastating style, once you master it, especially considered your stamina."

Naruto's eyes shined. "They won't know what hit them."

"Indeed. Indeed."

* * *

**School Pause, October – December 212**

The Shadow Clone training would greatly help Akimi and Naruto during the Academy, since it allowed them to train while they were also attending lessons. Naruto loved how extraordinary the jutsu was for pranking. When the break arrived, though, it became even better.

The Shadow Clone training had boosted Naruto's strength in an almost incredible way. Of course, the boy did feel like he was cheating a little, so he mostly used them to read – he was trying to catch up with Akimi – and to keep his chakra control at an acceptable level.

Akimi used them as well. She knew it would be years before she could effectively use them in battle, but she could manage to do three without passing out. Of course the three copies almost had no chakra, but thanks to her kekkai genkai it was cool. Akimi actually didn't think of the thing as a blood limit, it was more a result of the deep connection between her family and fire. As a fire burns brightly so long as it has fuel, so did Akimi's chakra. She could use emotions and meditation to boost the regeneration of her chakra reserves. The downside was that she had to work much harder than your average ninja to increase her chakra stamina. However, returning to her Shadow Clones, she simply made them and had them meditate for a couple of hours. Then she had them study scrolls and Fūinjutsu – especially Fūinjutsu – and eventually she had them working on chakra control and jutsu. She wanted to be able to use her D-rank jutsu only with the tiger seal, while she had already master the E rank tricks to a point where she didn't need hand seals to do them.

She was particularly interested in one ability that the Kage Bunshin no Jutsu had, which was to reproduce the exact equipment of the original. She didn't have the stamina to do complete clones in battle, but what if she could simply replicate her weapons? After all she was a long/mid-range fighter and being able to clone solid shuriken and kunai would be golden. Hence, she was studying a bit of hand seals theory to modify the Kage Bunshin to that purpose. She found out that many of the concepts were similar to Fūinjutsu, so it wasn't that difficult.

Naruto, as said before, went on a rampage. He had clones work on stances and ideas for his Taijutsu style. He had clones work on chakra control. He was trying to master waterfall climbing, but it was very difficult. Then, there was meditation. According to Akimi, that exercise would never finish boosting a ninja's power. It was useful to connect with chakra, making easier to focus on it, _and _it boosted your spiritual energy. A win-win, basically.

The originals trained their bodies. They were now using the weights and the resistances seals, which had boosted their strength and speed a lot. They always did their conditioning on water. Meaning they ran laps on the small river that surrounded the grounds and then did push-ups and sits up on the pound.

Naruto's shadow clones allowed them to learn how to fight in tandem as well. Two or three times a week, they had a "Battle Royal." Naruto created lots of clones, and then the real Akimi, Naruto and even Kaera had to fight them. This allowed the duo to develop some deadly teamwork. They were able to cover each other backs without a problem and their collaboration jutsu were coming along nicely (and devastatingly).

Akimi was almost completely serene again. She had come to love Konoha deeply and had found a new family in Naruto. Now her life had a meaning again. She wanted to become Konoha's sealing mistress and of course she was going to help Naruto achieve his dream as well. As her Grandfather would have said, her Will of Fire was burning again.

Only something bothered her. She still hadn't discovered what Naruto's mysterious seal was. She was close, mind you, but something did elude her understanding. Naruto told her not to worry too much, but had soon learned that Akimi could be as stubborn as himself.

"I'll find out what it does, you'll see." Akimi said. "It's my promise of honor."

"I know you will, 'mi-chan."

* * *

_**JUTSU NOTES**__:_

_**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu**__ [Shadow Clone Technique]: B-rank, supplementary. It creates a solid clone that is the perfect copy of the user, by splitting in half their chakra. The clone possess the same abilities of the original and all its experiences are transmitted to the original._

_A.N: why is Akimi able to use the technique? She is not a powerhouse like Naruto, of course. Actually I always thought that anyone with high genin – chūnin level stamina could easily use Shadow Clones. It only would be a waste of time and energy. I mean, let's suppose that to create a Kage Bunshin you need 50 chakra. You have 60. You create the clone and it remains 10, which is split between you and clone. So what you get is two copies of yourself with 5 chakra. Pretty useless, uh? I also assume that a clone cannot regenerate chakra. Akimi has an high regeneration of chakra as kekkai genkai (blood limit – it will be explained in later chapters). You do the math._

_What I think is that any shinobi with sufficient chakra could use Shadow Clones at least for academic like training (reading, sealing etc.) perhaps even for muscle memory. It doubles the time you train. And it also help in boosting stamina overall. Win-win._


	6. Chap 5 Graduation

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

_**EDITED: 26**__**th**__** January 2013**_

_**Author's note:**_

_First of all, a very special thanks to kazers for reviewing. My first review... it's kind of really cool. Thank you all for reading, especially to those who added the story to favourites or decided to "follow" it. It really encourages me to keep posting._

_Now, we finally begin with proper canon as the chapter covers... graduation. It's actually a big time skip – more than a year – but I didn't really had any relevant episode to describe, so I jumped forward to the juicer things._

_Well, enough chitchat, here we go with the actual chapter:_

**GRADUATION**

**October, 9****th**** 213**

"Well, what did you do this time?" Akimi asked, with a small smirk.

Naruto stopped on his tracks. He was stealthily sneaking back home, after a successful little prank he had orchestrated. Shadow Clones were a blessing.

"Amiki-chan!" he exclaimed, ruffling his hairs. "I thought you were sleeping."

The girl was in her nightgown, sitting in her favorite armchair near the hearth, which was of course lit. She was reading a scroll. "Nay." she said, raising her head. "I was actually awake and I heard the perimeter seal going off. So, what did you _do_?"

"A little revenge on those fucker shopkeepers."

"Language." Akimi reflectively said, without really minding. "So?"

The boy shrugged. "I kind of mixed up all their stuff, storages too. You know... food with clothes, weapons with toys, all those sort of things. They will need ages to sort all out. And I may have painted pink and yellow neon some of the meanest."

Akimi giggled. "You gotta love Kage Bunshin."

Naruto smirked, peeping to see what she was reading. "Again with _that _seal?"

"It's bugging me." Akimi said, biting the pencil she had for notes purposes in frustration. "I mean, how many fucking layers has that thing got? And look, you even rubbed onto me your bad mouth."

"A curse now and then is a great outlet." Naruto said. "Come on, 'mi-chan, you can't lose the rest of your life on that thing."

"Try me." she replied, impassable. "It's not like you are not stubborn. I myself wasn't _that _stubborn before meeting you. Besides, you saw how useful my break downs on seal are."

The girl had managed to create a huge seal of protection, privacy and detection all around the perimeter of the house, which Naruto jokingly called the Lair. Of course the array required so much chakra that Naruto had to exhaust himself twice to overpower them.

"Indeed." Naruto smiled. "Got any news on that protection seal?"

"Yup. I think that modifying a chakra absorption seal, like the one we put on the house, with a storage one and connecting them to the protection seal will basically power it up without any problems. The tricky part is making the protection seal activate at will. Having it always _on _would be... stupid."

"Yeah, you get overconfident, the seal disappears and puff... your dead."

"What a happy prospective..." she stopped, her gaze unfocused. Naruto recognized the sign of the mental strain a clone dispelling caused. She probably was going over the info in her head. "'to-kun, show me the seal again."

The boy yawned, lifting his shirt and molding his chakra. The complex seal appeared. "Well? What did you discover?"

Akimi did a hand sign, activating the privacy seal on the room. "I was so desperate that I decided to look at the matter from a different point of view. Or better said, my clone did. So if you look at the seal without a sealing prospective what do you see?"

"You mean like the first time I saw it? I thought it felt familiar... and almost like a swirl, the swirl!"

"Indeed." Akimi nodded. "The clone went through your family's chest, I hope you don't mind..." He shook his head. "I think the seal is inspired by Uzushiokagure's Fūinjutsu."

"Did you discover something?"

"Not much. I've found a similar seal, with only four points, and without any space... it's a very powerful containment seal."

"For chakra?"

"Mainly, yes. The scroll speaks of "energy", actually... it's very old. But I suppose it means chakra."

"Mmm..." Naruto scratched his head. "Why would anyone make a seal to contain something inside of me? Do you suppose it's like a huge amount of chakra? Maybe it's the reason I've got so much stamina."

Akimi tilted her head. "Could be. But where did the one who make the seal find so much chakra? It seems to be an endless supply. Besides, we have to suppose that the seal was made when you were very young, if not it could have tampered with your chakra coils."

"What you mean?"

"Well, I think the space in the seal means a constant amount of foreign chakra floods into your system. It would also explain why lately Kaera senses two different energies in you."

"You didn't tell me this before."

"It sounded strange. Kaera herself didn't tell me until now. She thought she was making a mistake." Akimi shrugged. "Well, as I was saying forcing foreign chakra in developed coils is very risky. It could cause them to break."

"I see." Naruto was pensive. "Well, I think it's best if we go to sleep."

Akimi giggled. "Yes, is quite late. Well, tomorrow we can skip morning training. It's your birthday after all."

"Yeah, how wonderful." Naruto hated his birthday. Everyone was sulking, remembering the Kyūbi attack, and they treated him worse than usual. Of course, last year it had been better, thanks to Akimi, but still... "We'll spend the morning listening to Iruka telling us about the attack of the Kyūbi and..."

The two look at each other. Naruto looked horrified.

"Holy shit!" exclaimed Akimi. "Naruto-kun, don't do..." she looked at the boy bolting out of the room. "... anything stupid. Kaera, after him!" she ordered.

* * *

"It's ironic you know." Naruto was hugging his knees, a sad look on his usual beaming face. "To discover that you hero is the one who made you a monster."

Akimi sat near him. They were on the head of the Yondaime, on the Hokage's mountain. "You are **not **a monster!" she hissed.

"Yeah, sure. Now everything makes sense. Why they hated me, why they shunned me. Parents who told their children not to speak with me, everyone who ignored me like I've the plague... it's because I'm the fox and..."

"Enough!" Akimi slapped him, moving suddenly. Naruto looked at her with a confused gaze. "End of brooding time. You-are-not-the-bloody-**fox! **Those... those fuckers! How dare they...! Naruto, that seal is the single most powerful and complex thing I ever seen. There is no bloody way the fox is getting out from that, not anytime soon, anyway. If it were the case, you would have felt its interference before: something like voices, stronger negative emotions... did you ever?"

Naruto shook his head.

"See? And even if it could speak to you, influence you, it wouldn't matter." Akimi said. "Because it would fail. You have got the purest of souls. You are not the fox, you are the one who keeps the fox at bay. You are... a hero."

"Akimi-chan..."

"No, I'm totally serious. Don't listen to those... bakas! They don't even know the basic principles of Fūinjutsu and they act like they are all-knowing and almighty. Fools." Akimi hugged him. "I don't care you have a demon sealed inside of you, you are not one. I'll always be your friend. It's my promise of honor."

"Me too, Akimi-chan, it's the promise of a lifetime, dattebayo."

After that, Naruto had to physically restrain Akimi many times, lest she went on a rampage and burned all the bloody idiotic civilians to ashes. It was a very warm feeling to have someone care so much for you.

* * *

**October, 13****th**** 213**

Graduation day. The whole class was on edge, some exited, some anxious, some bored... some sleeping (yeah, Shikamaru never backed down from a nap).

"Ehi, dobe." Kiba snorted. "What are you doing here? You know you are going to fail!"

"Akamaru-kun, try to restrain your human, please." Akimi said from her chair, without raising her eyes from her book. "I would hate to disrespect you by hurting him."

The dog barked.

"Thank you, Akamaru-kun."

"You can understand him?" Kiba asked in shock.

"Well, no." Akimi replied. "But your dog is intelligent. And he cares for you. Hence it's obvious his answer was positive." She turned a page. "Don't you think?"

Naruto smirked. "I love your sarcasm, Akimi-chan." he said, resting his head on the table.

"Me too."

Naruto yawned. "I'm bored."

"No pranking today. We discussed it."

"Geez, don't worry. I actually want to graduate." Naruto said. "Then we can be real ninja!"

Of course none of them was aware of the horrors of D-rank missions.

"Troublesome."

"You are awake, Shika?" exclaimed Naruto. "That's strange. I think you could have slept for like... thirty seconds more."

"Iruka-sensei's yelling would have been too troublesome."

"Are you guys ready, munch?" Chōji asked. "The exam ought to be tricky."

"Nah, if you can do the three techniques you are golden." Naruto said. "Besides you are good at taijutsu as well, so..."

"What if they ask you do clones, dope?" Kiba asked. "You don't seem to do well in that aspect."

Akimi laughed.

"What?"

"Nothing, nothing." Akimi said. _'Bunshin Jutsu are actually Naruto's specialty. He was right. This act is funny __from__ time to time...' _"Inside joke."

Naruto was also smirking. "Well, good luck guys."

"Silence, class! Everyone, sit down at your places. We will begin immediately. First, there will be a written test. I don't want everyone cheating. If I discover one of you doing so I will kick them out personally." Iruka yelled, with is Big Head no Jutsu.

"About bloody time." Naruto whispered. "I can't wait for that Hitai-ate to be mine!"

* * *

Naruto had done the exact same performance of his previous exam. Barely passing the written test, average in throwing weapons, above average in Taijutsu, and pitiful in Genjutsu. He was certainly going to be the dope and with Akimi acing everything (to Sasuke's dismay) they would certainly finish on the same team.

The plan was successful.

"Good job with Henge, Naruto." Iruka said, sternly.

Besides him, Mizuki was fuming. _'The demon fox has managed to do well on this exam, damn it. I can't believe he saw through my genjutsu!' _

"Now, please do three Bunshin." Iruka said, sighing. _'Damn, I'm so sorry I had to ask him that. It's his worse Jutsu... but luck wanted __it__ so. I had hoped his friendship with Akimi would help him, but he is the always the same...' _The scarred man had enjoyed many dinners with the two kids, amazed by their friendship. They were two orphans, alone, who took care of each other.

Naruto smiled. "Sure thing, dattebayo." He crossed his fingers in the tiger seal. "**Bunshin no Jutsu!**" Three clones appeared. Three normal, perfect and functional clones.

Mizuki and Iruka gaped.

"Eh, eh... I studied hard for weeks to master this, dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed. Unknowingly from the two teachers, a small horde of Naruto's had appeared outside as well, in the courtyard, startling the families who were waiting for their kids. "How is it?"

"Excellent, Naruto!" Iruka beamed at his student. "Congratulations!" he said, giving him a forehead protector. Naruto immediately grabbed it. He tied it around his head, using it to stop his unruly hair from falling on his forehead.

"I've done it, dattebayo!" he squealed, exited. "I'm a ninja!"

"You may go, Naruto." Iruka said.

The boy immediately stormed out, jumping.

"Well done, 'to-kun." Akimi said to him, smiling. She was waiting for him with crossed arms.

"Finally!" he exclaimed. "No more Academy! I'm free...! We can do missions!"

"Naruto-kun, calm down." Akimi smiled. "How about we go celebrate? Teuchi-san and Ayame will be happy to see we passed."

"Sure thing, dattebayo!"

* * *

**October, 20****th**** 213**

"So we are kind of unsure whether to appoint Sasuke or Akimi as rookie of the year. I mean, she did win more spars than him, but she is... well, a girl." Iruka said, tiredly. He had been deeply upset by the betrayal of Mizuki, who had tried to steal the Forbidden Scroll of Sealing.

Hiruzen breathed in with is pipe, releasing a small puff of smoke. "Ah, Iruka..." he said. "You should not repeat that again. I know some kunoichi who would beat you to a pulp, maybe even Akimi-chan herself. You said so yourself, she defeated Sasuke in spars, so she gets the title. Rightfully so."

"Yeah, but I hear Sasuke is very well versed in ninjutsu... he certainly knows some Katon ones. So..."

Hiruzen laughed.

"Hokage-sama?"

"Katora Akimi is far more dangerous that you give her credit. Besides, the title of rookie isn't that important in the real world. Jiraiya was the dobe of his year, you know." Hiruzen smirked. "Now, about the teams... I've looked over you recommendations. I think reforming the Ino-Shika-Cho team is a wonderful idea. It worked once, it shall work again. But for Team 7 and 8. I made a small change."

Iruka looked at the charts. "Hokage-sama, are you sure? I mean..."

"This is my last word. The only thing that may change are the jōnin sensei, if they refuse a team I'll find a substitute." Hiruzen said. "Oh, here they are."

In that moment three men entered. The one of middle was tall, dressed in the standard jōnin outfit, but with a small ban with kanji "guardian of fire" on his belt. He had a cigarette in his mouth and brown eyes and hair. To his right there was a tall woman, very beautiful, clad in a red and white long dress. She had piercing red eyes and long, wavy black hair. The last man was also dressed in a standard jōnin outfit. He was reading an orange book, much to the annoyance of the woman, and had spiky, gravity defying silver hair. His forehead protector covered his right eye and the lower half of his face was hidden by a black mask. Sarutobi Asuma, Yūhi Kurenai and Hatake Kakashi.

"Welcome. I've asked you here because I want you to take on the three most promising teams of this year. Asuma, you told me you wanted the Ino-Shika-Cho trio, is that right?"

"Yes, dad."

"Kurenai, Kakashi, do you agree or do you want to take on future team 10 as well?"

"It's fine, Hokage-sama."

"Asuma can have them."

"Good." The Hokage smirked. "Now, the original proposal for team 7 was Uchiha Sasuke, Sakura Haruno and Uzumaki Naruto. However I decided to change it. It will be... Katora Akimi, Aburame Shino and Uzumaki Naruto. That leaves Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura and Kiba Inuzuka on Team 8."

"I'm sorry Hokage-sama, are you sure the teams won't be unbalanced this way?" asked Kurenai. "Uzumaki did very poorly on his tests and..."

Hiruzen chuckled. "Iruka here said that Akimi and Sasuke are on the same level. In fact, Akimi beat the kid many times over, did she not?"

The scarred chūnin nodded.

"It should make you happy, Kurenai. A girl was the best of her year. Besides, she and Naruto will work very well together. They are good friends." _'They are also very reserved, really. Shino will be able to respect their privacy, giving them the necessary time to open up.'_

"What if they isolate Shino?" asked Kakashi instead.

Hiruzen shrugged. "In that case they will fail your test, Kakashi."

"I suppose so." the masked man said. "I thought the council wanted me to teach the last Uchiha."

"Indeed." Hiruzen was impassable. "But if you consent to give the boy a couple of lessons if he awakes his Sharingan it will be fine. Both he and Sakura are very suited for genjutsu, Kurenai will be able to teach them lots. However, you can choose to take Team 8 instead, Kakashi"

"No, damn the council." Kakashi said. "I'll take Team 7. I have a tradition to carry forward." _'No way I'm not going to train your son, sensei.' _

"Kurenai, are you all right with this predicament?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

"Then, Iruka, you can go." Hiruzen smiled. "You can stay and watch your new genins reactions." and he took out a small crystal ball.

* * *

"I was first!"

"No, I was first." a shirk voice yelled. "Sasuke-kun is going to be mine! I get to sit near him!"

"Shut up, forehead!"

"No, you shut up, Ino-pig!"

The object of the crazy fan girls desire, the last Uchiha, was sitting with an impassable face, brooding. And silently cursing them.

Akimi glared at them from her usual seat at the bottom of the room. "Fan girls..." she spat, turning at her book on Advanced Chakra Molding and Hand Seals. Naruto chuckled from her left. In front of them were Chōji and Shikamaru, as it was now normal for them. Kiba was nearby as well.

"The funny thing is that they don't get there are two seats near Sasuke." Naruto observed, smirking. "So much for being observant."

"Obsession blinds them." Akimi said. "They'll have a wakeup call sooner or later... and it will not be pretty."

"So a small part of you cares for them?" Naruto asked, brushing some dust from his orange suit. It was not the moment to reveal his true self yet. "I'm amazed."

"They are comrades of the Leaf now." Akimi replied. "Besides, they do have great potential. If only they weren't obsessed, that is."

"Suppose your right." Naruto yawned. "I'm bored."

"SHUT UP, brats!" Iruka yelled upon entering the room. "Right, I want to congratulate you for your successful graduation!" he then smiled, proudly at them. "However, you still have a long road in front of you. You are now real ninja, but even among the genins, you are mere rookies. You are the lowest of the lowest rank. Some of you may have found the trials of the Academy hard, well they are something that experienced ninjas can do in their sleep. Many challenges await you, before you become true shinobi. That said, I wish you all good luck. Now, I'll be reading the selected teams. You are to report here after lunch to meet with your jōnin sensei. So, Team 1 will be..."

Naruto dozed off, not really caring about the teams.

"Team 7 will be Katora Akimi, Aburame Shino..." Naruto raised his head, alerted, and even Akimi lowered her book. "... and Uzumaki Naruto."

"Yes!" Naruto rejoiced, albeit quietly. Akimi smiled and winked at him. "It worked."

"Of course it did. There was no way Sandaime-sama wouldn't put us together after he saw us sparring." Akimi said, in her no-nonsense tone.

"Team 8 will be Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura and Inuzuka Kiba." There was a shirk scream of joy from the pink haired kunoichi, a thunder of protest from the other fan girls and a groan from Kiba.

"I feel sorry for you, really." Naruto loudly said to the feral looking boy.

The class was surprised. Sakura was a little offended. _"Did he not have a crush on me? Of course, he kind of __hangs__ out with Akimi __now__." __**"Cha! We are so much better than her, but at least he will leave us alone." **_She glared at the blonde, but stopped when she met Akimi's own glare. She gulped a little, before turning back and busied herself with fantasizing about Sasuke... they were in the same team!

"... Team 10 will be Shikamaru Nara, Akimichi Chōji and Yamanaka Ino."

"This is unfair! Why does forehead get do be on Sasuke-kun's team and I get struck with the lazy one and fatty over there?"

"Troublesome."

"Munch, munch."

"The teams were selected by Hokage-sama himself. They are final." Iruka said, continuing with his list.

* * *

"I think I will have a hard time with my team." Kurenai said. "I definitely need to beat that fan girl attitude out of Sakura."

"Bossy fan girls... why did you have to get the one decent kunoichi, Kakashi?" complained Asuma.

The masked man was reading his book. "I'm sorry, did you say something?" he asked.

The others sweat dropped. Kakashi, in the meantime, was going on the reports he read.

Katora Akimi. She arrived in the village two years before, she was granted citizenship and a place in the Academy by the Sandaime himself. Very good friend of Naruto Uzumaki, but cordial and open to almost everyone. She was graded well above average in the three arts, had an impressive amount stamina for a kunoichi her age and displayed a high intelligence and seriousness. She was tied with Sasuke Uchiha for rookie of the year, something unheard of before.

Aburame Shino. Best in the class after Sasuke, Akimi and Sakura (who scored kunoichi of the year). Very stoic and mysterious. True skill unknown, but he was probably proficient in his clan techniques.

Uzumaki Naruto. He was the dobe. He barely passed, but had a good grade in Taijutsu and a decent one in Ninjutsu. He sucked at Genjutsu. He had huge levels of stamina (no kidding, he contained the fox, after all) but poor control. He was childish and loved pranks. He was described as a hot-headed, impulsive kid, with no aptitude to strategy whatsoever. His stealth skills were graded as average, but the kid did wear **orange. **Surprisingly, though, his reaction had been controlled. He expected the kid to start jumping at the news he was in the same team as his best friend. _'Curious.' _

Kakashi sighed. It was a strangely assorted team. For some verses it reminded him of his own genin team, but yet it was very different. He wondered. _'Will they work together? Should I let myself hope?' _He didn't notice the Hokage's smirk.

* * *

"Aburame-san." Akimi bowed to the tall, reserved boy. Shino was the tallest of their class. He wore standard black shinobi sandals and pants. He had a long green jacket over it, whose collar covered part of his face. He had dark brown hair, which almost looked like a bush, and wore black sunglasses, which helped in creating his stoic figure.

"Katora-san, Uzumaki-san."

"We thought we could get together and eat something, dattebayo! Since we are a team and everything."

If you focused long enough, you could hear a small buzz from Shino's quiet and emotionless figure. "It seems logical."

"We have bentos." Akimi said, with a polite smile. "Would you prefer to sit in the sun or in shade?"

"Shade."

No kidding.

"Sun!" thundered Naruto.

Akimi glared at him. "Well, we could find a spot with both."

A few moments later they were all sitting near each other, the bentos in the middle of them. "So..." Akimi started, appalled by Shino's silence. _"And I thought __**I **__was an __anti-social__ type. He takes it to an unknown level." _"... maybe we could speak a little about ourselves, since we have to work together from now own."

"It's logical, Katora-san."

"Oh come on, Shino, you don't have to address us with our surnames – we have known each other for years!"

Akimi sighed. "Naruto-kun doesn't really get politeness. I did try to beat it to him, but I failed." she said.

Shino secretively smirked, while the blonde pouted.

"However he is kind of right. We are teammates now, we ought to call each other by names."

"I agree. Naruto-san, Akimi-san."

"Damn, he is even worse than you, 'mi-chan!"

* * *

Team 7 was waiting. The other teams had been collected by their sensei long ago.

Shino was standing in a corner, examining (maybe talking to) a bug on his hand. Akimi was sat on the ground, reading her book, sometimes taking a couple of notes. Naruto was leaning against her, bored out of his mind.

"It's almost been two hours." he whined.

"Probably our sensei is trying to teach us patience." Akimi said, quietly.

"It's logical."

"Still. I don't have to like it."

Akimi shrugged dismissively, turning a page. "Then do what you do best."

"Why not!" Naruto rubbed his hands, moving a chair near the door. He then proceeded to place a brush full of chalk on the edge.

"I don't think that will fool a jōnin, Naruto-san."

"Well, trying won't hurt." Naruto smirked then, to the other's boy surprise, he produced a brush and started drawing on the ground with some precise and firm strokes. He chuckled evilly while doing so.

Shino almost gaped (but he didn't show it). "You know Fūinjutsu, Naruto-san?"

The blonde boy shrugged. "A little. But the real expert is Akimi-chan. By the way, come over here and tell me if I did this wrong. I don't want to blow things up."

"I never thought I would see the day when you would say that." Akimi smirked, jumping on her feet with ease. She glanced at the seal. "Yeah, yeah... you are golden. Hurry up and activate it. Someone is coming."

Aburame Shino wasn't particularly excited about the Team Placement. He figured any of his class mates would do. He was intrigued when he finished with Katora Akimi and Uzumaki Naruto, though. The class genius (well one of the class geniuses) and the dobe. But that was only the outer layer, wasn't it?

Akimi was the only girl in the class who really took all the lessons seriously. She didn't seem to despise taijutsu practice, even though she did look at it with less enthusiasm than academics or ninjutsu. Another surprise here, she had way more chakra reserves than the other girls in class. His Kikaichū were wary of her... and of the so called dead last as well. (The same dead last who did a seal like it was a child's game...)

If he had any doubts about Akimi's dangerousness, they were cleared that day. She had always come to the Academy in an almost casual wear. Comfy clothes, very good for training. She usual wore blue and black, with the occasional red as decoration. That day she had arrived in what looked like a very sturdy ninja gear.

She had on combat black boots, in which she actually hid two complex scrolls with immobility and chakra draining seals. She wore black fitting shorts, which stopped just over her knees, with two red lines going down the middle of her outer thighs. A weapon holster was on her right leg, with another two other equipment bags by her belt. She had on a crimson red mesh shirt, covered by a short floating coat that arrived barely mid-thigh. The coat was black and had thin golden embroidery all over it, which very difficult to notice though. On her right shoulder was strapped the insignia of a shining golden flame. On her left shoulder she carried a small white spiral instead. On the inside of the coat were several scrolls holding spaces, used mostly for storage. Her Hitai-ate was tied above her right elbow. She wore fingerless red gloves, with a protective metal plate for parrying blows.

"Akimi-san is correct." Shino said. "Someone is coming."

Naruto swiftly charged the seal then moved away the chair. He then returned to his place near Akimi, who was still reading, but had sealed away her notebook and writing tools. Shino also got nearer to them, and busied himself with staring out of the windows. "Act casually." suggested Naruto.

Akimi smirked. Shino didn't answer, but he usually didn't show any emotions anyway, while Naruto started playing with his thumbs. The door opened.

Kakashi Hatake was two hours late. Some would think it was a smart way to test his hopeful genins to be, but in reality he was simply _chronically _late. Seeing the people who waited for him frustrated was just a bonus.

So here he was. He opened the door, preparing one of his cheeky excuses. He had no problems sensing the object dropping towards him. He was a jōnin after all. _"So Naruto decided to play a prank on me?" _he thought, with an inner smile. He was about to dodge the projectile... when he felt a strong jolt through his nervous system, not enough to hurt him, but sufficient to disrupt his reaction time. _"A seal?" _His visible eye widened and the brush full of chalk dropped right on his head, covering him in white dust.

Naruto laughed at him, pointing a finger on him. Akimi simply smirked, her eyes leaving her book only for a couple of second. Shino didn't move at all, staring blankly at him – he supposed – through his sunglasses.

Kakashi wanted to gape. He really did. Thankfully he had many years in ANBU on his shoulders and he did wear a mask... so he simply glared at the three kids, conveying a very little amount of KI. They didn't look bothered in the slightest.

'_What hell is up with these three genins?' _"My first impression of you is... you are weird. But I still don't like you. Meet me in the roof in 5 minutes." and he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"What a... particular guy." said Akimi.

"My Kikaichū say he is very strong..."

"You think? He didn't look like anything much." Naruto said. "Though he did disappear nicely. Do you figure it was a Kage Bunshin, 'mi-chan? Or a modified Sunshin?"

"The latter. Not everyone has your amount of stamina, so they would tend to be careful with their chakra usage."

Shino eyes widened a little. _"There is much more to __these__ two __than__ what appears at the eye." _"It would be wise to go." he said.

"Of course, dattebayo!"

* * *

Kakashi was sprawled on the couches in the roof, happily reading his porn. He felt his students arrive. He smiled a little.

"Ah, you are here. Come on, sit down." he said, waving dismissively. "First thing, how about we introduce each other? Likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams for the future... stuff like that."

Akimi tilted her head. "How about you go first, sensei-san? After all, we already know each other."

"I'm Kakashi Hatake. Things I like and things I hate... I don't feel like telling you that. My dreams for the future... never really thought about it. As for my hobbies... I have lots of hobbies."

Akimi raised any eyebrow, while Naruto muttered in protest: "He only told us his name!"

"Now, why don't you go up, girlie? Your turn."

Akimi crossed her arms. "My name is Katora Akimi. My likes are my friends and family, my familiar Kaera, the village and fire. My dislikes includes blatant perverts, as I find it a form of disrespect. Yeah, I really hate disrespect. Also, I absolutely detest those who judge without understand and those who use their power to abuse, exploit and generally hurt others. My hobbies are reading, cooking with Naruto-kun and _experimenting_. My dream is to surpass my grandfather in the Art and to always be there to support my friends."

"What art?" asked Kakashi, mildly interested.

She shrugged. "My clan's Art."

Kakashi scratched his head. "I suppose that will do, thanks. Your next, blondie."

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto, dattebayo. My likes are Akimi-chan, Kaera-chan, ramen and orange. I hate the three minutes that take for instant ramen to heat up and all the fuckers who threaten my friends. Ouch, what was that for, 'mi-chan? Oh, right, sorry I cursed."

Kakashi sweat dropped.

"Where was I? Ah, yes. I also dislike those who hate someone for something that is out of their control. My hobbies are pranking and training. My dream is to become Hokage. Yeah, I'll become the greatest of them, dattebayo!"

"Your next, sunglasses."

Shino didn't even flinch. "My name is Aburame Shino. I like silence and rational thinking. My primary dislikes are very strong noises. I despise those who look down on insects and kill them without reasons as well. My hobbies is studying and collecting new species of insects. My dream is to become a strong shinobi and a good clan leader."

'_What a strange bunch of genins.' _He noted that Akimi had taken out her book again. It had a blank cover, so you couldn't say what it was about. _'A calculative nerd, a hyperactive prankster and a concise bug lover.' _"Fine. Now that we gotten past ourselves... I would like to meet you tomorrow morning at Training Ground 7 for Survival Training." He got no immediate answer. "Be there at 7.00 AM. Sharp." Again no reaction. Wait, Akimi did turn a page on her book. And was that a yawn from Naruto? _'These kids...' _"And I advise you not to have any breakfast. You may throw it up. See ye." and he disappeared with a puff of smoke.

"What do you think?" Naruto asked, crossing his arms.

"I'm not sure if I like him or not." Akimi said. "But I suppose I'll have to work with him. He is trying to unsettle us, though."

"Yeah, I think he expected us to protest when he mentioned the survival training." Naruto robbed his chin. "He did wait before continuing."

"It's logical." Shino said. "My insects are tracking him."

"Oh, that's great, Shino-san. Kaera is also doing some recon for us. 'to-kun, add some clones to it, would you?"

"Already on it." the blonde said. He crossed his fingers and a dozen of clones appeared from nothingness, before leaping away.

"Good, good." Akimi nodded. "Shino-san, would you like to have dinner with us? We can discuss our _sensei _further... and maybe have a friendly spar to gauge each other's ability."

"Fine by me."

"You aren't one of many words, are you?" Akimi smiled. "It's good, actually, at least you will balance out with Naruto-kun. He is way too talkative."

"I'm not. Besides you are talking. When you start ranting about your books you don't stop. Ever."

The two continued to bicker, to Shino's dismay. _'I suppose I __will__ have to get used to it. They are my teammates, now.' _

* * *

**JUTSU NOTES:**

**Jolting Seal**: a very basic perimeter seal, once activated it releases an average spark of electricity that effects anything that moves above the very perimeter of the seal itself (ie. The actual drawings and lines that from the seal.) Developed by Katora Akimi to help Uzumaki Naruto with meditation.

**Kikaichū** [Parasitic Destruction Insects]: they are the special insects, that live by drawing foreign chakra, used by the Aburame clan as a basic for all their unique secret techniques (hiden jutsu) that are restricted only to their clan. Each member of the Aburame Clan's is given a special hive of Kikai at birth and grow up in symbiosis, learning how to use them for recon, fighting and much more.

**Sunshin no jutsu** [Body Flicker Technique]: D rank, supplementary, this technique allows the user to move at an incredible speed, vitalising all the cells of the body with a burst of chakra. The movement is masked with some kind of effect. (smoke, leaves, water etc.)

* * *

**CHAPTER'S NOTE**:

_So I chose Team 7 for Naruto and Akimi. I like the number "7" very much. That and Kakashi is just so full of potential, furthermore is the jōnin I'm more familiar with. I don't think I would be able to write Kurenai or Asuma well and I didn't feel like create an OC as jōnin sensei._

_The last member of Team 7 is Shino._

_I was really debating whether put Sasuke instead, but I felt it would create an a) overpowered team b) endless conflict that would isolate Akimi and Naruto too much... and I don't really like Sasuke anymore. Well, he is actually passable in the original Naruto, but the way he got in Shippūden? I mean he is evil and illogical, not to mention a spoiled brat. Shikamaru was out of the question as well, because of the fabled Ino-Shika-Cho. Kiba is a brawler like Naruto, therefore his presence in the team would not really necessary - and he uses dogs (and it would clash horribly with Akimi's tiger). Shino works well as a support member and he gives the team some solid reconnaissance skills._

_This way each rookie teams is balanced with a recon expert: Ino, Kiba and Shino; a supporting member from mid-long combat: Shikamaru, Sakura, Akimi; and finally a powerful melee fighter: Chōji, Sasuke, Naruto._

_Finally, personality-wise, Shino is best suited for Naruto and Akimi because he greatly respects privacy._


	7. Chap 6 The Bell Test

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

_**EDITED: 26**__**th**__** January 2013**_

_Thanks to everyone for reading!_

**THE BELL TEST**

**Or**** how deception is a shinobi greatest weapon**

**October, 21****st**** 213 – Training Grounds 7, AM**

"Seven AM, training grounds 7, Team 7." Naruto scoffed. "Don't they have any imagination?"

"Or maybe it's easier to remember this way..." Akimi observed, smiling. She wasn't reading, which was strange per se, but also showed how serious she was. "Oh, hello, Shino-san."

"Hello."

"It seems we were right." Akimi said. "Hatake-san isn't here yet."

"My bugs are exploring the area." Shino said.

Naruto dropped on the ground. "Did you have breakfast, Shino?"

"Of course. It would not be logical to start a survival training with an empty stomach."

"Indeed." Akimi nodded. "It's like the man doesn't expect us to do some critical thinking..." she said. "In any case, I have a scroll with extra food."

Shino nodded. The two could be strange at times, but damn did they take the whole shinobi thing seriously. Naruto was... different. He wore dark blue pants, with two orange lines that ran on the length of his legs. Then an orange muscle shirt and a blue jacket, but with orange sleeves, over it. The garment seemed to have the space for several scrolls on it, and it included pockets on the chest similar to those in the standard chūnin/jōnin jacket. He had the same red swirl on the back of it, with the white one on the right shoulder. He also spotted a golden flame on the left. His Hitai-ate was still used to restrain his hair.

"**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." **Naruto murmured. A vast group of clones appeared. "Scatter. Make traps around. You have an hour."

Akimi smiled. "Kaera is tracking Hatake-san, right now. He is still sleeping, actually." she crossed her arms. "He does seem to be late for everything, even for meetings with Sandaime-sama."

"That is correct. My father said so. Yesterday, he spent hours looking at that stone..." Shino indicated a blue stone nearby three poles in the ground. Akimi tilted her head.

"There are lots of names here, dattebayo."

"A memorial stone." Akimi said. "That means Hatake-san has some kind of regret."

"That is logical." Shino nodded. "So how are we going to play this?"

Akimi smirked. "Well, we do have a few ideas. Of course, we would like your input... I'm not sure if I understand exactly how your Kikaichū can be integrated in the plan."

* * *

"Morning, students." Kakashi saluted, appearing with a puff of smoke. "Sorry, I'm late but I was..." he stopped on his tracks. His genins were... relaxing and eating?

They had laid down a quilt near the shade of a couple of trees. Shino was sat with crossed legs, talking (or something) to a couple of bugs on his hands. Naruto, orange clad again, was eating with gusto an apple, while lying on Akimi's lap, who was reading with her back against a trunk, eating a banana.

"Morning, Hatake-san. Do you want some food?" asked the girl, with a smile.

"I told you not to have breakfast." said Kakashi, frowning.

Shino slowly got up. "You _advised _us not to have breakfast. It wasn't an order."

"Besides, it's way past ten in the morning. This is a quick snack, not breakfast. Maybe we didn't have one." Akimi smirked. "A pity you arrived, I was beginning to enjoy the sun."

Naruto and Akimi got up almost at the same time. Akimi sealed away the food and the quilt, putting her book in her equipment bag on her belt.

Kakashi mentally sighed. _'Figures I had to find the only bunch of genins who isn't intimidated by me and neither annoyed by my tardiness.' _"Let's move on with our schedule, my students. We are here for a mock surviving battle. Your opponent will be... me."

The three genins looked at him, blankly, as if saying: _'You don't say!'_

Kakashi inwardly smiled. _'They are good.' _"Your goal will be taking one of these bells from me." he produced two tilting bells. "If you fail, you will be tied to that pole..." he indicated them. "... and be forced to see me and your teammates eat this delicious bentos I made." he produced the bentos as well.

Of course, since they had all eaten, they were not that worried. _'And here goes the dramatic effect.'_

"Not only that, but if you fail to take a bell... you will be returning at the Academy!" he said, darkly. That did get a reaction.

Akimi merely tilted her head, while Naruto leaped forward. "What?" he thundered. "But there are only two bells!"

"Then one of you is doomed to fail." Kakashi shrugged. "This is the true _graduation _test. The exam at the Academy is only a way to eliminate the really hopeless ones. This test, though, the one that really makes you genin, and has a 66% failure rate."

"It's unfair!" Naruto whined. "All this time... I thought I was a genin."

"You are a ninja. You must look underneath the underneath. You have until noon to take the bell." He set an alarm clock nearby. "You must come to me with the intent of killing me, otherwise you will fail."

"I don't want to hurt you, sensei." Naruto exclaimed.

"Don't worry. You won't. You know, class clowns are usually the weakest link on a team..." Kakashi smirked when Naruto reacted exactly as he expected. He ran forward without thinking, taking out a Kunai.

Kakashi disappeared in a burst of speed and appeared behind him, pointing a kunai to his neck. "Nice try, but I still haven't said... begin!" he eye smiled. "So, begin."

The three genins disappeared at once. _'Right, nice speed. They are good at hiding too. I almost lost the girl for a second...' _he stopped his analysis when he saw Naruto marching towards him. He sweat dropped. "What are you doing?"

"I'm taking that bell from you! There is no way I'm going back to the Academy!"

'_Maybe I got my hopes up too soon.' _"You don't look much like a shinobi. Maybe you should ask for help. The girl, isn't she your friend?"

"'mi-chan can fend for herself." Naruto smirked. "As I do, dattebayo."

"Very well, then I shall teach you some lessons. Ninja art number one: Taijutsu." Kakashi slowly moved his hand toward his bag.

Naruto frowned. _'He said Taijutsu. Why is he taking a weapon then?' _His eyes widened when he saw the man took out his Icha-Icha Paradise. "What are you doing?"

"I'm catching up with some reading, why?"

Naruto seethed. _'He is underestimating me... which is exactly what I wanted.' _So he charged forward, using his flawed Academy Style. Despite the fact that he was reading, Kakashi easily dodged any blow.

'_He is a brawler. He has no real style. But he hits hard. Stronger than I expected.' _Eventually, Kakashi got tired of the skirmish and let himself being hit. While Naruto exulted at his defeated Kawarimi, he got behind him. He crossed his fingers.

Naruto panicked. _'A tiger seal? He wants to use a Katon jutsu on me. I'm outta here.' _Even as Kakashi screamed: "**Sennen Goroshi**.", Naruto disappeared with a puff of smoke and a squeal.

Kakashi hit the air. "Nani?" he exclaimed. _'Where did he go? He didn't use Kawarimi and that was certainly not a Sunshin.' _"Kage Bunshin?"

* * *

"He was about to shove his fingers into my ass!" Naruto exclaimed, shivering. "Is he a pedophile as well?"

Akimi giggled. "I think not... it would have been quite the effective technique, if not unorthodox" she looked at her left. "Ah, Shino-san. Everything ready?"

"Hai." the other boy landed near them. They were hidden on a tree far away from the central clearing. "The female Kikaichū is at the site of the trap. I'll be following you and act as support as we agreed."

Akimi smirked. "The man won't know what hit him." she said. "Kaera is shadowing him. Let's get moving."

* * *

Kakashi found Akimi a couple of minutes later, deep into the small forest. She had chosen a very strategic position. Hidden by some high brushes, her back on a tree to prevent sneaky attacks, she was covered by some boulders on the sides. She was looking around, wary.

'_So she prefers to hide and wait for me to make my move. Well, let's see if what her files say is true.' _He evoked a fairly simple and easy genjutsu, casting it on her. "**Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu**" He expected her to immediately noticed it and to dispel it... but she didn't.

Kakashi observed as her eyes got wide, and then watered up. She promptly fainted.

The man sighed. "Ninja art number two: Genjutsu." he said. _'If I took out so easily the so called rookie of the year... well, then this generation is really pitiful.' _However, he did not want to have the girl recover and attack him later on, so he got nearer to bind her. Mistake.

As he kneeled neat her, he felt a hissing sound. _'__**Trap!' **_he jumped back at once, successfully avoiding a swarm of shurikens hitting the place he was in. In that very moment Akimi leaped back to feet, crossing her hands. "Fūin!"

Kakashi felt the same jolt of the day before, only stronger. "Damn!"

Then the girl leaped out of sight, somehow activating two other traps. A log coming towards him, he managed to dodge that, but the other shurikens... he ducked to the left, not daring jumping too high because of the tilting feeling the electricity had left on him. And he landed right on a pit fall. "Are you trying to kill me?" he exclaimed, annoyed. He barely managed a Kawarimi, lest he finished impaled by the metal poles on the end of the pit.

He panted from his safe position on a nearby branch. _'Those were some nasty traps. They were covered by a genjutsu, I believe. She made me believe she fell from my illusion, to make me activate the first trap. I could only retreat, so she probably put several seals in that direction. I was surprised to see her move, hence giving her the time to activate the seal and the next traps. With my dodging reactions limited, I could only duck into the pitfalls. Thanks the Kami for Kawarimi, or I would be severely hurt if not dead.' _

"That was a nice escape, sensei-san." Akimi smirked at him from a higher branch behind him.

"I'm done underestimating you, Akimi-chan." Kakashi said. "You evidently deserve your title."

She tilted her head. "Does this mean you will not be reading while we fight? I'm honored."

Kakashi didn't answer, but instead leapt towards her. He aimed a quick punch at her shoulder, but the girl simply jumped off the tree. _'She knows I'm __better__ than her in fighting on trees. Smart.' _He thought, watching her run towards the open space at the start of the grounds. Kakashi tried to deter her with some shurikens, but she dodged them. _'She is fast and good at using her senses. She didn't even turn to dodge those. Yeah, she definitely is something else.' _

Akimi stopped in the clearing, as he suspected. She seemed to be a little tired.

'_Wait a second. Why did she __get__ me to __do__ a wild chase __through__ the forest, when she could have easily escaped while I was dealing with the traps?' _He immediately got extra attentive. _'Was she buying time for Naruto? She knew about the book, so they definitely communicated. Unless she was observing us... but if she did, she would have not had the time to prepare all those traps. But Naruto used a Kage Bunshin, so maybe he was helping her all the time... which means he also knows the secret of the technique. But I wonder, where did he learn it? It makes sense, seeing his massive reserves, but it is a forbidden technique.'_

Akimi squared him, getting into a semi crouched stance. _'It worked. He has quite the number of Kikaichū on... but he suspects something. So, let's make him think what he is more likely to think' _"There is no way you are going to separate me and Naruto-kun. We'll take your bells."

Kakashi sighed. _'So they are indeed excluding Shino, oh, well... I may as well have my fun with these two. Maybe they will pass the next test.' _"The way you keep talking, it makes me wonder if you are afraid to attack me."

"I'm not really the rushing type." Akimi said and with a fluid move launched a dozen of shuriken at him. Kakashi dodged with ease, attacking her immediately after. He was relentless, giving her no room for attacking. _'For a genin, she is good, but I can see Taijutsu isn't really her forte.'_

Akimi was getting tired. _'Maybe I should have left Naruto-kun to deal with this part. __Or__, maybe not. Well, __onto__ more pressing matters, I need an opening. Ah, certainly.' _She parried the umpteenth punch from the jōnin, this time using the Fire Style. The stinging from the Katon chakra had the desired effect to unsettle ever so slightly the man, allowing her to take out a kunai. Kakashi seemed more careful after that and she used the small time to jump back.

"Well, Akimi-chan, you are at least better than your good friend at Taijutsu too."

Akimi laughed. "Are you in need of a respite, sensei-san?"

"No, but I thought _you _could use one."

"So chivalry isn't dead. How delightful"

'_Another point to her. She enjoys __w__ord sparring as well.' _Kakashi made to attack again, but Akimi smirked.

The girl saw Naruto giving her a thumb up from his position, before puffing away. The signal. "Look like it's time to get serious, sensei-san. How did you say it?" she asked launching the kunai.

Kakashi dodged without even thinking.

"Ninja Art number 3... Ninjutsu." Akimi said. Her fingers moved at a very quick speed. A speed that was beyond genin level. Still he was able to read them. Tiger. Monkey. Boar. Horse. Tiger.

'_No! A Genin should not have the necessary chakra to pull that off. Especially a kunoichi!' _

"**Katon." **she exclaimed. "**Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" **

The fireball was even grander than he expected. He could feel the heat from where he stood. _'Has she mastered nature transformation?' _he wondered, eye widening. He used Kawarimi at the last second, before the huge ball of flame engulfed him.

Akimi looked around, smirking a little at the crater she created. _'I love fire... but where is he?' _She looked up, left and right, behind...

"BELOW!" Kakashi thundered. "**Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu!" **before dragging her into the ground until only her head was visible.

The jōnin smirked at her. "Nice try, Akimi-chan, but looks like I beat you in this field as well." he said, looking at the entrapped girl.

"Do you really?" she smirked back.

"**Fūton: Daitoppa!" **

Kakashi gulped, as he heard Naruto's voice exclaim the technique. He immediately jumped, dodging the massive gust of wind coming at him. He was flabbergasted by the sheer destruction it caused, creating a deep crack in the heart. It stopped only at the river, making some water fly around. _'Oh, no, I forgot about Akimi... but wait, would Naruto really hit his only friend?' _

He saw a sliced log in the place where Akimi's head was. _'Kawarimi'_. As he landed, he felt Akimi behind him. He turned, gaping, to see her with the tiger seal formed. "**Katon: Kouen Kasui no Jutsu!**"

"**Fūton: Kaze no Ame!**" Naruto screamed as well, with impeccable timing. A storm of small, sharp wind projectiles hurled toward him.

'_These two have an astonishing teamwork!' _Kakashi thought as he used Kawarimi again to escape. _'The wind needles will not harm Akimi because she is still steaming fire, but forced me to get away, instead of dodging and attacking in Akimi's opening.'_

"It seems sensei-san is too dodgy to use effectively ninjutsu on him." Akimi said, jumping in the middle of the clearing.

"Then we shall adapt." Naruto passed her a kunai, after landing near her. "I'll do the distraction this time."

Kakashi, from the branch he landed to, looked at the two with puzzled eyes. _'Dead last, __huh__? __Looks__ like you played all of us, Naruto. Too bad you don't extend that teamwork of yours to Shino. Mmm. I wonder where that one is...' _He was stopped in the middle of his musing by a sudden movement at his back. Only his experience allowed him to duck a kick aimed at his neck. He rapidly counterattacked with a punch in Naruto's guts, dispelling the clone. _'He changed clothes. Was the first one I fought henged to make me underestimating him? Clever.'_

Kakashi was then assaulted by a swarm of clones, who forced him back to the clearing, where the original waited. He soon discovered that Naruto's taijutsu wasn't the flawed Academy Style. No. Not at all.

The kid was always in motions, using not only his arms and feet, but also elbows and knees. He had great balance and was quicker than before. His movements made no apparent sense, but they were cleverly unsettling him. He managed to dispel at least a dozen of clones, but there were still too many of them. _'Time to level the field.' _He used Kawarimi to buy time and reappeared on the pound.

"'to-kun, fuel!" exclaimed Akimi, noticing him at once.

"You got it!" the original exclaimed.

As Kakashi did a long set of seals with astonishing speed, while Akimi did her own.

"**Suiton: Mizurappa no Jutsu!" **An almighty wave of water rose from the river, clashing down towards the two genins.

Akimi jumped back, nodding at Naruto: "**Katon: Hi no Tate!" **

The fire burst out from her mouth, creating a dome shield in front of her. Just before the water jutsu of Kakashi impacted on it, it was augmented by Naruto: "**Fūton: Daitoppa!" **

Kakashi watched in amazement as the fire shield become higher and thicker. It created so much heat that water from his wave started to evaporate at once. When the two jutsu clashed, the result was a wide and dense cloud of hot steam appearing around. _'This is unbelievable. They are two mere genins!'_

His eye widened when he saw a black silhouettes coming at him from the steam. _'Shurikens!' _He jumped to dodge, landing in the middle of the clearing.

Naruto and a slightly panting Akimi waited for him. The clones had been dispelled like he intended. _'I doubt he will create others. He has stamina, but not _that_ much.' _

"I'd like a re-examination of your first lesson, sensei." Naruto said, leaping towards him. "Taijutsu!"

Kakashi sighed. _'How much energy does this kid have?' _Thing was, this time the fight went very different from before. Naruto still didn't seem to plan ahead much, but he was surprisingly... unreadable. It was like the style he was using only made sense in his head, Kakashi supposed, and he doubted he could make it out even with his Sharingan.

His moves were not elegant, nor pretty, but they hurt a lot. Kakashi was startled when he managed to cut his arm even without touching it. _'Wind manipulation! Who was the idiot who said he's a dobe?' _

Kakashi's attention had been diverted for one second, but it was enough. Akimi threw few shurikens at him, with deadly accuracy. He managed to duck only because of his seasoned reflexes, but dodged right into Naruto's punch. The kid could hit, all right. _'Ouch!' _He recovered quickly managing to sweep a kick and hit the boy on his leg, making him lose balance. On a second thought though, he should have not.

"**Shuriken Kage Bunshin no jutsu!" **

This time Kakashi really wanted to scream in frustration. The Shuriken replication was an A-rank technique invented by the Sandaime himself. Of course, Akimi managed to create no more than three dozen of them, instead of the usual hundreds, but still... Kakashi quickly jumped away into the forest, taking cover into the trees.

And then he felt something crawling on his hand. He looked down. _'A Kikaichū! Damn! I need to shake them off!' _Kakashi focused lighting chakra around all his body. He fried some bugs and many others flew away from him.

That was enough for Akimi and Naruto to catch up with him, though.

Kakashi realized with a startle that his chakra was severely drained. _'How long had I had those bugs on? Were they working together all along?' _

Akimi threw another dozen of shuriken at him.

"**Fūton: Reppūshō!" **Naruto screamed, hurling the wind chakra at the projectiles, which became quicker and deadlier. Kakashi ducked down, managing not to jump right into a swarm of Kikaichū only at the last second.

Akimi had predicted his movement and he had a kunai hissing towards him. "Damn!" he cursed, taking out a kunai as well and using it to deflect the projectile. The discarded weapon landed at his feet. "You are three interesting kids." he said, painting.

"Why, that must have been the nicest thing anyone has ever told me." Akimi said.

Kakashi smirked. "Still. You haven't got any bell. And the alarm is going to ring any second now."

"Is that so, sensei?" Shino suddenly arrived to the scene, behind him.

Kakashi moved a little so he could see all three of them.

"Yeah, but you really made a good effort, therefore..."

"**Fudou no Fūin!**" Akimi exclaimed. "Activate**" **

"Nani?" Kakashi eye widened. There was a clone behind him. A clone he hadn't detected. _'The kunai!' _he realized, remembering the moment when Naruto passed a kunai to Akimi. _'Of course!' _The clone had placed a tag on his shoulders, with the same seal that Akimi activated. _'The seal is strong, but it wouldn't hold me down if not for the chakra drain caused by those Kikaichū. A perfect strategy.'_

"It's over, sensei." Naruto said. "Bye, bye!"

And a cloud of swarming bugs descended on him, just as a sharp ring echoed in the ground. Then all was black.

* * *

"Maybe we did go overboard." Akimi observed.

The three genins had robbed Kakashi of the bells _and _his book, tying the jōnin in the middle post in front of memorial stone.

"Nah, he did make us wait ages this morning." Naruto said, opening one bento. "Itadakimasu."

"It was a nice spar." Shino said. "I enjoyed it." eating his own lunch.

"You bet, Shino! We'll be the most powerful team of Konoha, dattebayo!"

Akimi giggled, busy drawing some seals on the Icha-Icha Paradise volume.

"What are you doing, Akimi-san?"

"Leverage." she curtly explained. "This is going to be awesome."

Shino looked at her, puzzled.

"All the village thinks I'm a prankster." Naruto started. "Which is true."

"No kidding there, 'to-kun."

"But I would never dare to prank Akimi-chan. She is really scary when she is angry."

"And Kakashi-sensei made you angry, Akimi-san? Why?"

Akimi shrugged. "He made us wait ages, he is a pervert... and he insulted Naruto-kun."

Shino nodded. Insulting the blonde wasn't a very smart thing to do if Akimi was around. Saying that she was _protective _was an understatement.

"So, tell me, Shino-san..." Akimi finished whatever she was doing with the orange book and smiled at her teammate. "Do you, by any chance, play shogi?"

* * *

Kakashi groaned. He felt tired and dizzy... chakra exhaustion's symptoms. Moreover, his ribs were a little sore. And he felt some stinging all around his body. _'What the hell?'. _Then, he remembered. He opened his eye, realizing he was tied to the pole.

"Say cheese!" a chirpy voice exclaimed. The man was blinded by a bright flash.

Naruto smirked at him, waving a freshly printed photo in front of him. "Golden blackmail material." he said, sealing the thing away.

Kakashi felt like growling. Thankfully, he knew how to rein in his emotions.

"Ehi, guys!" Naruto exclaimed then. "He woke up!"

"What a drag!" (Yeah Akimi really did spend too much time playing Shogi with Shikamaru – if not her, her clones did). "The game had just gotten interesting!"

Nevertheless, both her and Shino got up and joined Naruto, flanking him on both sides. Akimi was a mere step from him, Kakashi noted. They were really close.

"Don't try the Tonsou no Jutsu, sensei-san, the rope is chakra enhanced." Akimi said, crossing her arms.

"Will you untie me, then?" Kakashi said, calmly. He was a little annoyed he had been beaten by three genins, but admittedly they were not normal genins. Especially the girl and the so called "dope".

"Do we pass?" replied Naruto, smirking.

"You took the two bells from me." Kakashi slowly considered. "But which one of you is going back to the Academy?"

"I'll go." Shino said. "Akimi-san and Naruto-san have an excellent teamwork. They could fend well without me."

"I'm honored, Shino-san." the girl said. "But it's either all of us or none." Naruto nodded besides her, while her smirk widened. "That, and if we don't pass, then your book goes with us, sensei-san!"

"My... my book?" Kakashi squealed. "What do you... no! NO! NOOOOOOOOOOO" the jōnin's scream could be heard all over the village.

Kakashi was in agonizing pain, seeing his precious book in the hand of the meanest kunoichi he had met in years, who also happened to have a knack for pyrotechnic. "You pass, you all pass! You... YOU ALL PASS!" he screamed. "But please, release the precious..."

The three genins sweat dropped. "On second thought, maybe we should go back to Academy. He creeps me out." Naruto observed.

"It... it's not logical."

Akimi simply smirked. "You won't underestimate us again, will you not?"

Kakashi was almost in tears. "No, no..."

"Right, so you will take us seriously..."

"I will. I swear."

"Well and―"

"'mi-chan, that's enough, I think." Naruto patted her shoulder. "He has gotten the message."

Akimi pouted. "Fine, all right." she said. "Untie him." she casually threw the book at the jōnin's feet. Naruto dismissively sent some Fūton chakra and severed the rope.

Kakashi fell on the ground and snatched up the book with lightening speed. "It's all right, precious, you are with Kakashi-kun now, it's all right..."

Shino coughed uncomfortably.

In less than a second Kakashi recomposed himself. "I didn't pass you because of blackmail, you know..."

"We do." Shino said.

Kakashi sweat dropped. "Oh, boy."

"That's because the test wasn't really about getting the bells. Why do you ask? It's logical. They would not bother creating three men cell teams for then splitting them. Hence, we passed because we worked together."

Kakashi eye smiled. "Correct." he said. "I never did fool you, didn't I?"

"Nope!" Naruto smirked. "But we did fool you."

Kakashi ruffled his hair. "You will never let this pass, won't you?"

"Nope, dattebayo!"

"So, tell me how you came up with the plan." Kakashi said, sitting down.

"Your bento, sensei-san."

"Ah, thank you, Akimi-chan."

"We gathered Intel on you yesterday night." Shino curtly explained.

"Your Kikaichū and Naruto's clones?" Kakashi asked, starting to eat.

"And Kaera-chan." the blonde explained.

"Your familiar." Kakashi mumbled, pointing at Akimi. It was curious, because he managed to eat without taking his mask off.

"Yeah." the girl replied. "Her expertise is espionage. We soon realized you tend to be tardy... so we decided to meet at seven, because we were certain you would make us wait."

"Which you did." Naruto smirked. "But we used the time to explore the place and place traps."

Kakashi nodded. _'This explains how they managed to pull off that long series of traps...'_

"Kaera-chan was trailing you, so we would be certain you wouldn't surprise us." Akimi said. "In the meantime we settled down and devised a couple of plans. Nothing definitive, though, because we didn't know what you would ask us."

"Then, we you knew I was about to arrive, you decided to try and unsettle me, eating and such..."

"Actually, Naruto-kun was simply hungry."

The blonde boy laughed a little, ruffling his hair in embarrassment.

Kakashi smiled. _'He still has his idiotic moments.' _"But you did keep up with the "dobe" act."

"Of course, dattebayo." Naruto smirked. "Even though you kind of really irked me at the beginning, sensei. So I just got two birds with one stone, dattebayo! When you said 'begin' I did went away from you, then created a clone and sent it to distract you."

"In the meantime, we finalized our plan." Shino explained. "The set of traps Akimi tricked you into, it was all devised to place a female Kikaichū on you. That allowed the other bugs to find you while you were chasing her around the forest."

"And later in the clearing, while we fought." Akimi said. "I used taijutsu to buy time and allow the bugs drain your chakra. When Shino thought it was enough, Naruto gave me a signal, and we started we ninjutsu."

"To make me drain chakra even more quickly." Kakashi nodded.

"Not only that. My clones were filled with Kikaichū as well." Naruto explained. "They passed them to you while we fought. But the key part of the plan was when I passed Akimi the henged kunai."

"It was really a clone, you know this." Akimi explained. "'to-kun thought of this part. We needed to put the seal on you and since he is better at close ranged combat he has a lot of seals to place on the opponent."

"But it was you who activated it, why?" Kakashi asked. "I thought seals worked better with the one who drew them."

"Indeed. I drew the seal. I'm better than Naruto-kun at creating and also controlling seals. The power of a seal stands in the understanding one has of it." Akimi explained. "And also connection. This is why every seal user in training learns to make their own ink."

Kakashi nodded. "What if you couldn't activate the seal?"

"Naruto has more than enough chakra to do it himself. Besides, we have a shared ink."

Kakashi gaped. _'They are even closer than what it looked like.' _

"Very well, team. You have shown me great potential and skills. It seems you have already learned the lesson I was planning to teach you today. But I shall lecture you nevertheless, because this is one of the most important lessons you will ever learn." Kakashi rose. He appeared strong, tall and imposing. "Teamwork is Konoha's most powerful asset. Our rules state that the mission is the most important thing and to never show our emotions. In the Shinobi world, those who break the rule are trash, that's true, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash. Always remember this. That..." Kakashi stopped, forcing back a tear from his visible eye. "... is a memorial stone with the names of all the brave shinobi and kunoichi that fought and died for this village. Honor their memory with your own actions as true ninja."

The three genins looked at him with awe.

'_So the late lazy pervert is only a facade.' _Akimi pondered. _'He is an __honorable__ man and shinobi.'_

Naruto was frozen of the spot. Then, he moved almost by instinct, getting near the stone and kneeling. Akimi didn't lose time and imitated him. Eventually, Shino joined them too, even though he merely bowed his head.

Kakashi looked at them, already proud of _his _kids. 'Aburame Shino, Katora Akimi, Uzumaki Naruto.' he declared, solemnly. 'You are now proud genins and shinobi of Konohagakure no Sato: wear you Hitai-ate with honor. Report tomorrow at the bridge near the entrance of these grounds, at 8.' and he disappeared with a puff of smoke.

* * *

**JUTSU LIST:**

**Sennen Goroshi [One Thousand Years of Death]**: E rank, offensive, short range, the technique involves shoving one's fingers (for example the position of the tiger seal) or even a kunai into the opponent's anus, causing constipation, pain and embarrassment.

**Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu** [Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique]: D rank, supplementary, short range, this genjutsu makes the victim believe they are inside one of their greatest fears. The actual start of the technique is preceded by leaves swirling around.

**Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!** [Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique]: C rank, offensive, short to mid range, it sends a massive fireball clashing towards the opponent. Mastery over fire makes the technique more powerful and deadly. Originally created by the Uchiha Clan, it soon became their signature technique.

**Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu**! [Earth Release: Double Suicide Decapitation Technique]: D rank, supplementary, short range, the user hides underground, suddenly grabbing their victim's ankle when they let down their guard. Then the user shot out from the ground, yanking their opponent down until only their head remains free.

**Fūton: Daitoppa **[Wind Release: Great Breakthrough] C rank, offensive, short to mid range, it creates a powerful gust of wind, powerful enough to knock back a tree and blow up everything on its curse. Deadly if used in combination with Katon, to augment a fire technique's power.

**Fūton: Kaze no Ame** [Wind Release: Rain of Wind Technique]: D rank, offensive, short-to mid range, it creates a series of small, sharp needles of wind that descend upon the user's victim like a sort of rain. With an high mastery over wind, one can create more needles and make them sharper, increasing the effectives of the technique.

**Suiton: Mizurappa no Jutsu!**[Water Release: Wild Water Wave Technique]: C rank, offensive, short to mid range, the user unleashes a wave of water against their enemy – the exact size depends from the chakra used and mastery over water. It's the Goukakyuu counterpart.

**Katon: Hi no Tate!** [Fire release: Shield of Fire]: C rank, defensive, mid-close range, it creates a small dome shield of flame in front of the user. Useful to defend against mild water attacks or taijutsu attacks.

**Shuriken Kage Bunshin no jutsu**[Shuriken Shadow Clones Technique]: A rank, supplementary, mid-long range, it allows the user to duplicate tenfold the number of shuriken they throw toward the enemies. The specific number created depends from the quantity of chakra used. (the high rank of the technique comes from the control necessary to perform it, that is greater than a normal Kage Bunshin.)

**Fūton: Reppūshō:** [Wind Release: Gale Palm]: C rank, supplementary, short to mid range, the techniques creates powerful and compressed gales of wind. They alone are strong enough to knock back an opponent, but if used alongside weapons they increase speed and sharpness.

**Fudou no Fūin** [Seal of Immobility]: it causes a sudden block of movement on the victim's body. For this to happen, the seal utilizes a great burst of chakra. The needs to place a small seal tag on the opponent before activating the seal. A great quantity of chakra is also required to hold the seal in place, making it useful for creating openings, but not as a definite way to keep an enemy prisoner.


	8. Chap 7 Genin Life

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

_**EDITED: 26**__**th**__** January 2013**_

**Author's note**_**:**__so here is the new chapter. I added a little of team bonding and the part about Konohamaru that weren't there in the first draft of the story, but I thought it was good to show character-character interactions. Well, the chapter became a little long (read: VERY long), but that's too bad._

_Thanks to everyone for reading, especially to those who have shown passive support by adding the story to favourite/alert. A very special thanks to __**kazers**__, __**Neo Amon **__and__** Zelman clock is HOT **__for the very encouraging reviews. I was happy that I managed to write the bond between Naruto and Akimi in a enjoyable way. I hope I described Team 7 dynamics well in this chapter as well. I think that the importance teamwork and bonds have in Naruto is one of the best part of the show, so I want to valorize them in this story as well._

_Now, off with go with the actual chapter:_

**GENIN LIFE**

**October, 21****st**** 213 – Hokage Office, 7.00 PM**

"You are late even by your standards, Kakashi." Sarutobi said, sternly, breathing an intake of smoke from his pipe.

"Sorry, I got tied up." Kakashi said, putting a hand behind his head. _'This is time is actually the truth...' _

Hiruzen chuckled. "Certainly, Kakashi-kun."

"No, I'm totally serious. And I know I should be embarrassed, but somehow I kind of feel proud of them... my students tied me up."

The old Kage smiled. Given which genins they were talking about, it was indeed possible. "They are better than I gave them credit for."

"Honestly, Hokage-sama, the Academy got everything wrong! Shino is a great support-long range fighter. His Kikaichū are a great tool for reconnaissance. His intelligence will allow him to become a fearsome shinobi. I plan to work with him on his taijutsu and team tactics. I think he can learn ninjutsu well with his clan."

Sarutobi nodded. "So he worked well with Akimi-chan and Naruto?"

Kakashi sighed. "They made me believe they were excluding him, while he was using his bugs to stealthily steal my chakra. Akimi and Naruto are... something else." The jōnin smiled. "Let's start with the girl. She is highly intelligent and analytic, moreover she is very controlled. She is obviously a nerd and is very well versed in Fūinjutsu. I've seen her use an Immobility seal and some sort of jolting seal. She also appears to have taught Naruto about seals. Her Taijutsu is well above genin level, but it isn't her forte. Ninjutsu is. I believe she has already mastered some degrees of elemental manipulation and her control seems astonishing. She used two C rank techniques on me and a D rank one and we had been fighting for at least an hour. I'm not sure about her proficiency in Genjutsu, but she successfully dispelled a minor illusion I placed on her while pretending she had been affected by it."

"I expected this. Her clan was renowned for their mastery over Katon manipulation. I'm speaking of levels that would make the Uchiha appear as mere tricksters. Likewise, they were also quite knowledgeable about seals, not at the level of the Uzumaki, but very close."

"I've never heard of a Katora clan."

"Because that is a decoy name. Only Akimi and I – and Naruto, I suppose – know the truth about Akimi's past. And I beg you of never push her to reveal anything. She is very secretive."

"Which is why you paired her with an Aburame."

"Yes." Sarutobi nodded. "Now tell me about Naruto."

"He – is – NOT – a - bloody – dead last." Kakashi said. "He played me, pretending to be one, as a distraction for his teammates. He has astonishing stamina, I suppose it was to be expected..."

"The Nine Tails..."

"And better control than I had expected. He is a Fūton user, he possibly has mastered nature manipulation as well. That, or his massive reserves make his jutsu over-devastating. His Taijutsu is a crude, efficient and unpredictable style I never heard of. He cut me at one time with Wind chakra. I think."

Sarutobi whistled. "Incredible. So Akimi did have indeed a good influence on him."

"He also has a knack to create unexpected strategies... I'm not sure how much did he devise of the plan that took me down, because he and Akimi work in tandem so well that at times it is impossible to make out which one is actually the mastermind. But that is not the most surprising thing."

"No? What else could he have pulled off?"

"Kage Bunshin... hundreds of them. And I think also Akimi is aware of the technique. She launched a Shuriken Kage Bunshin at me."

Hiruzen's jaw dropped.

"What really puzzles me, is where did they learn them?"

"I think we need to pay a visit to your new wayward genins." Sarutobi said. "While we go, do tell me: how exactly did they manage to tie _you _up?"

"Oh, that's easy. I underestimated them."

* * *

"Good evening, Sandaime-sama, Hatake-sensei." Akimi bowed. She was dressed in an elegant red and golden kimono. The dress was quite striking on her. "Do come in, please."

The girl escorted them in the sitting room.

"What can I do for you?" Akimi asked, sitting down. "And would you like something to drink? Tea? Sake?"

"Why would you have sake here, Akimi-chan?" the Hokage asked, raising an eyebrow.

"For guests, of course. I really don't think I'll ever indulge in the pleasure of alcohol, since I don't really want to mess up my control and unleash an inferno around."

Hiruzen nodded, well aware of how dangerous a berserker Enkounkin could be. Kakashi, per se, had sworn not to underestimate the girl again, so he simply eye smiled.

"I think we'll have tea." the Sandaime said. "Where is Naruto, Akimi-chan?"

"Training, where else? I convinced him to cut out the pranks now that he is a genin. You know, credibility and all..." Akimi rubbed her neck.

"You managed to do that?" Hiruzen asked, surprised. "How...? On a second thought, I don't really want to know. Why don't you go prepare the tea you mentioned? I'll go get Naruto myself. Come, Kakashi."

The girl sighed, watching the two experienced shinobi head towards the training ground. "Meow!" she looked at the silver tiger who was sleeping on her favorite armchair near the fire.

"Last time I felt this way, was when Gramps spanked me after I got lost in the Great Forest..."

* * *

Kakashi and Sarutobi gaped. The relative small area of the training ground was covered in orange-clad Naruto, who was in training attire: an orange muscle shirt and orange pants.

The clones were divided in groups, each one doing something different. Some appeared to be practicing katas, while others supervised them. The biggest group was practicing with Fūton chakra, cutting trees and rocks alike. Another great bunch of them was meditating, sitting _on _the pound. A last group was hurling Wind Jutsu around.

The true Naruto was running laps around the perimeter, on the thin river.

"Naruto!" thundered Sarutobi.

The boy stopped in his tracks. "Uh? Oji-san!" he then exclaimed, rushing towards them. "What are you doing here? And Kakashi-sensei, too!"

"We need to speak to you and Akimi-chan, Naruto-kun." Hiruzen gravely said. "Come on. And dispel those clones. I want your full attention."

Naruto shrugged. "Sure thing." he turned to the clones. "Start dispelling. You know the drill!"

Sarutobi noted with a small pang of relief that the boy made sure his clones dispersed in small groups. He looked very adept at sorting out information, too. The blonde opened in a small smile after his wind manipulation clones dispelled.

"Let's go." Naruto said, jumping ahead happily. He easily ran ahead of them.

Hiruzen sighed. "He still is a little obvious."

"Or maybe he is playing you, Hokage-sama." Kakashi observed, with an eye smile.

* * *

The jōnin was right. "Why does Oji-san want to scold us, 'mi-chan?" asked Naruto, helping her with the tray she was carrying in the sitting room.

"We learned a secret and forbidden kinjutsu, 'to-kun."

"Oh." Naruto said. "How deep in trouble are we?"

"It depends. Let me do the talking."

Naruto nodded. In his opinion, jiji didn't stand a chance. Akimi really had a knack for persuasion. Before he could voice his thoughts, the Hokage and Kakashi entered.

"Ah, you are as always a lovely hostess, Akimi-chan." Sarutobi sat down in front of the tea, which was served with a fair amount of biscuits. "You have an idea why we are here?"

"You want to grill us about the extent of our abilities... and the risks we took training, I reckon." Akimi said, quietly. She was almost subdued.

"I gather you founded Kage Bunshin no Jutsu in your grandfather's scrolls, but I'm quite disappointed you decided to use it. What part of kinjutsu you don't understand, Akimi?"

"Wait a second, what makes you think it was her? Maybe I did try the jutsu by myself... even if she told me not to."

"Naruto, while I find your willingness to take the fall for your friend admirable, I know she is the single one person _you _really _listen _to. You wouldn't have tried it without her ok." Sarutobi said.

Naruto made to retort, but Akimi subtly kicked his shin. _"Right, let her do the talking" _

Akimi was looking intensively at the Sandaime. She wasn't afraid. Naruto figured that she tried the good girl act and, seeing its failure, she went for her decisive, ass-kicking side. Poor oji-san.

"With all due respect, _Sandaime-sama_." Akimi was very good at using a very respectful term making it sound... derisive. "I do understand kinjutsu. It's a particular set of techniques that has determinate risks, with a certain degree of lethality. In the case of Shadow Clones, the risk is basically in the chakra drain, correct? Naruto-kun is a walking powerhouse. Right now, he possesses roughly two times the size of Hatake-sensei's reserves, he has even more than you. And you are the most powerful shinobi in this village, are you not, Hokage-sama?"

Sarutobi sighed. "Fair enough. But what if you were wrong? What if there were other risks to the jutsu? Naruto could have hurt himself!"

"Yeah. Right. Mental strain, with potential permanent brain damage. In the worst case, the risk is entering a vegetative state. However..." Akimi stopped. "... Naruto-kun has incredible regenerative powers. That allows him to withstand the strain. Besides, why do you think he uses only _one hundred _clones for training?"

Sarutobi gaped. "What do you mean _only?" _

"How many did you do last time?" Akimi turned to Naruto, mildly interested.

Naruto scratched his head. "Four hundred seventy three..." he replied. "... I could have done more, but I doubt they could have used jutsu effectively, so..."

Kakashi and Hiruzen were speechless.

"Oh, boy... this should not be possible." the Hokage said. "It's..."

"Yeah, that happened to me too." Akimi said. "It's a shock, isn't it?"

"Fair enough, Akimi-chan, I probably underestimated your analytic prowess." Sarutobi said. "Can you do the jutsu as well?"

"Not in combat." Akimi replied. "Which is why I tried to modify it for shuriken, causing so much stupor in Hatake-sensei."

Kakashi eye smiled. "Why don't you call me with my name, Akimi-chan?"

"I have known you only for a day, Hatake-sensei." Akimi replied.

"Akimi here has been raised to be very strict and precise in what she says. I believe formality has been drilled into her since a young age. It's a tradition in your clan, correct?" Sarutobi said.

"It helps understanding seals, really. With seals you learn words have power, hence you get very wary with them."

"It makes sense." Kakashi nodded. "And I was surprised because that technique had been invented by Sandaime-sama, here. To think that you emulated him, even on a smaller scale, well, it's impressive."

Akimi almost blushed, while Naruto gave her thumbs up.

Sarutobi instead looked at the girl. "How many clones can you make?"

"Five." Akimi explained. "But they have the barely amount of chakra to keep going. Really, Sandaime-sama, before you start ranting again, I spent days doing calculations to see what amount of chakra was required to effectively create a functional copy of oneself."

"So, your grandfather did teach you jutsu manipulation." Sandaime said.

"I taught myself." Akimi said. "Besides, it's not very different from the principles of sealing, if you have enough mental elasticity. I'm going to ease your worries, though, the most advanced scrolls of my family, anything over some easy B-rank jutsu are kept in the land of my family's summon and I can't effectively sign the scroll before my thirteenth birthday, next year."

Sandaime nodded. "And how would you define your stamina?"

"Around chūnin level, more and less. But it's complicated."

"How so?" Kakashi asked. "And by the way, what good would five almost chakra-less clones do to you?"

Akimi looked at the masked jōnin, before biting her lips.

"Akimi-chan." Hiruzen said. "You can trust Kakashi. He is one of the top ranking ninja of this village, and maybe the most powerful after me and the Sannin. And he is your sensei now. Can you trust him to guard your back when you are on a mission?"

'_Those who break the rule are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash.' _Akimi heard the older ninja word and they moved something inside of her. _'His __laid__ back attitude, his tardiness and his blatant perverseness... they are all __parts__ of a mask.' _"Activate." she said, crossing her finger in the half ram seal.

A complicate array of seals appeared all around the room, especially around the small table and the two couches. It glowed blue for a few seconds, and then disappeared. Akimi looked a little strained, but nevertheless fine.

"My clan has a deep connection with fire. It does not only result in an overall mastery and invention of Katon jutsu, but also in what you like to call a kekkai genkai. Sort of."

Sarutobi eyes widened. "Really? That old Katora! He kept secrets from me!"

"We are ninja, Sarutobi-sama." Akimi smiled gently. "Deception is our greatest weapon."

Kakashi laughed a little. "You have taken that concept to very high levels."

Naruto and Akimi smirked.

"What does your kekkai genkai do, Akimi?" asked the Hokage.

"It's very difficult to see, not like a dōjutsu such the Sharingan or Byakugan... it's a chakra based blood limit. Our chakra... well, my chakra... it burns."

Sarutobi and Kakashi looked puzzled.

"I can use emotions and meditation to fuel chakra. The regeneration of my chakra is much quicker than in the average ninja. I mean, Naruto-kun can regain almost all of his chakra level in one night of sleep, which is per se astonishing, but I can regain half of my level in two hours if I meditate. That's why my clones are useful."

"They have the same ability!" Sandaime shouted. "They could basically last forever if not hit! And they can create clones too."

"Indeed." Akimi nodded. "I use them for training purposes _and _moreover they help me increase my stamina. Oh, that's the thing... I have to work very hard to increase my stamina."

"It makes sense. It balances the power." Sandaime said. "This is astonishing. It's this how you managed to run for two weeks when you first reached Konoha?"

She nodded. "That's what made our home almost unconquerable. In a siege we could basically last forever, alternating who fought and who regenerated their power."

"Are they any other powers to this kekkai genkai?" Kakashi asked.

"It grants me a very easy time learning Katon manipulation. I'm connected to fire, in a way. It also greatly increases the power of Katon jutsu. That's why the members of my clan always had a least two elements mastered. I think there are other things... but I don't know of them yet, the specifics are in the scrolls which are not yet in my possession." Akimi explained. "We can also partly recreate this regeneration powers with chakra pills, which are similar to chakra pills but have less dangers."

'_Interesting. Her ability is similar to that of the Akimichi clan, only being spiritual instead of physical...' _"Right, Akimi-chan, and what about mental strain, are you being careful with it?" Sarutobi asked, worryingly.

"I'm used to it. I've been connected with Kaera-chan since I was two years old and only recently we learned to filter the link." Akimi explained. "So it isn't that bad for me."

"Can you introduce me to this Kaera? I would like to know her abilities so I can integrate her in our team's training." Kakashi asked, with an eye smile.

"Here, Kaera." Akimi said softly but commandingly.

A small silvery tigress jumped right on the table, her movement quick and ninja-like. She was the size of a house-kitten, but had very long and fierce looking fangs. Her long tail waved lazily.

"Meet Hatake-sensei, Kaera-chan."

"Meow."

Kakashi nodded at the animal.

"Kaera-chan is bonded to me through a very complex seal. As such, we share chakra and have a mental link. Her main ability is that of blending into the surroundings and sensing chakra, she is therefore a good spy. She is quite weak in combat, but can manipulate fire to a certain extent, even though it isn't her affinity."

"She can master an affinity?"

Akimi rubbed the tiger's head. "She is a summon."

Kakashi eye gaped. "I see."

"However, her growth is very limited because she lives in this plane as a consequence of our bond. This is why she can't talk yet, nor can she use her affinity or jutsu. She is very intelligent, it's more her physical abilities that are contained."

"What about you two?" Kakashi asked. "Tell me the extent of your abilities. The truth, if you please."

"I'll start, dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed. "In a little while I want to try the second main stage of wind manipulation, cutting the waterfall. I can create blade of winds for a short time and I've integrated this in my style! The Cutting Eight Limb Style, dattebayo! I know a fair amount of D-rank wind jutsu and two C-rank, one offensive and one defensive!"

"The** Daitoppa.**" Kakashi said. "What about your defensive one?"

"It's **Kaze no Tate. **A wind shield... Akimi-chan figured out the hand seals from the **Hi no Tate.**"

"Impressive. What else?"

"I'm good at making traps." Naruto said. "And then there is Kage Bunshin of course."

"We use weight and resistance seals." Akimi intervened. "And we have mastered waterfall walking. We use meditation extensively. This for what concerns chakra control. I think Naruto has easily reached level five in Fūinjutsu, while myself... I'm not sure, really."

"What's the most complex seal you have made, Akimi-chan?" Sarutobi asked.

"Mmm... the protection seals I put on our clothes. I modified a chakra absorbing seal with a chakra storage one, connecting it to a minor protection seal and linked it to a special hand seal for activation. We tested it and it does repel up to a standard C-rank jutsu."

Sarutobi gaped. "That's easily a level 7, borderline 8. What else?"

"I bet Hatake-sensei told you about our Jolting Seal... I firstly devised it to help Naruto-kun learn meditation."

Naruto pouted. "It would zap me if I moved. It was mean, I tell you."

The two elder men chuckled.

"Then there is the Immobility Seals. I'm working on advanced chakra storage seals and chakra absorption seals for battle. Then there are of course various degrees of storage seals. Then Protection seals and privacy seals. Oh, and detection seals. Naruto-kun and I covered the whole compound in an array mixing those." Akimi scratched her head. "I can also stabilize a genjutsu seal to cover up traps."

"So you have started in seal creations." Sarutobi nodded. "You had some pretty good ideas."

"Naruto-kun helped with those, he is very creative."

"But 'mi-chan is better than me at all the technical and calculation parts, dattebayo."

'_Again, the perfect team.' _"How far along are you in Katon manipulation, Akimi?" asked the Hokage.

"I started working on melting metals." she smiled. "But it's very difficult. I have mastered the D rank jutsu so I can use them with only the tiger seal. And I also know two C rank: the **Goukakyuu **and **Hi no Tate. **Oh, and the Shuriken Kage Bunshin, of course."

"And you also worked well in tandem, as I've seen" Kakashi nodded. "I'll enjoy teaching you. But first, I want you to help me bring Shino to a nearer level with you two. Chakra control and physical conditioning."

"Sure, no prob."

"Very well, then I'll see you tomorrow." and the jōnin disappeared with a puff of smoke.

"I so want to learn the Sunshin!" Naruto whined.

Sarutobi chuckled. "I bet you can get Kakashi to teach you. And now, alas, I've to go back to paperwork."

"Ne, jiji, why don't you use Kage Bunshin with that?"

And the old venerated Sandaime promptly fainted at how easy the solution to the problem was.

"Why didn't we tell jiji that we know about my _tenant_?" Naruto asked, once the old man left for good.

Akimi's eyes grew darker. "Because he should tell you, by all means, and I want to see if he does."

"So you are testing him?"

"Pretty much." Akimi looked at her best friend. "So much has been kept from you. Your seal, your heritage... I will never fully trust the Sandaime until everything is cleared."

"Maybe if we confront him now he would tell us."

"He still thinks we are children. He would patronize us. Like he did with Kage Bunshin." Akimi said. "Besides, think of his expression once he starts talking to you, all serious and then... bum, you tell him: 'I already know, dattebayo.' He'll be so taken aback!"

Naruto smirked at her. "Another perfect prank. I think I rubbed off you."

"Yeah, that you did."

* * *

**October 22****nd****, 213 – Bridge**

Shino was a little baffled. Just a little.

He thought he could work very well with Akimi and Naruto – the bell test had showed as much – and all things considered he was quite happy with his team. Except now he was having some doubts. He arrived first at the bridge, the meeting point Kakashi-sensei had set for them. Akimi and Naruto arrived soon after, at eight o'clock precisely. While he thought that Akimi was the more precise and thoughtful of the duo, Shino would have bet some of his Kikaichū – and Aburame were very protective of their insects – that it was Naruto the first out of their house that morning. The blonde genin was running and jumping ahead of Akimi, whereas the girl calmly walked down the street, a book in hand. It was Naruto's hyperactive behavior that gave him reservations.

"Ohi, Shino!" shouted the blonde in question, rushing towards him. "Are you excited for this, dattebayo? It's our first mission as a ninja!"

"..."

"I bet it will be something cool! Maybe we'll need to save someone famous. Or help some village against evil bandits, dattebayo. Or hunt a missing nin or..."

"Naruto!" Akimi exclaimed, finally reaching them. "Give it a rest, you'll know as soon as Hokage-sama assigns us a task, until then there are so many possibilities you can't possibly know."

Shino breathed in relief, as Naruto seemed to subside a little.

Akimi nodded politely at him. "Good morning, Shino."

He nodded back. He was not a person of many words, after all.

They waited silently – if you don't count Naruto's excited squeals – for an half an hour. Eventually, Akimi closed her book with a resigned sigh. "I think Hatake-sensei is late."

"I doubt he'll ever arrive on time." Shino replied.

She tilted her head. "Naruto, leave a clone here to tell sensei we are at the training grounds." she smirked. "I think you need to blow some steam off."

Naruto smirked back. "Oh, you are so on!"

"Tell me, Shino..." Akimi said, starting to walk. "... do you know how to climb trees?"

* * *

Kakashi Hatake was not a man to hold grudges. He rarely consorted with civilians and he learned the hard way how truly frail life is in the shinobi world. A comrade, a friend could die unexpectedly and suddenly, from one day to another.

But he would be damned if he didn't get back at his genins for their stunt yesterday. He smirked evilly from under his mask, using _Sunshin _to appear in one of the high decorative arches near the bridge. "Yo!"

Only his students weren't there. Well, not all of them.

"Ohi, sensei!" Naruto shouted at him. "You are late."

"Well, I got lost on the road of life..."

"Oh, wait until 'mi-chan hears this!" Naruto laughed. "The others and the boss are at the training grounds, by the way."

Kakashi eye smiled. "Are they? So you are a clone?"

"Yes, dattebayo!" was the answer. "They didn't want to waste time, you know... do you want me to dispel and tell them to get here?"

"I'm going over there. Can you wait before dispelling thought?"

"Sure thing, sensei! Kaera-chan and Shino's bugs are sure to be around though."

Kakashi shook his head. _'Naruto has a way to always surprise you. He immediately guessed I wanted to observe them without being noticed.' _"I'll be careful, don't worry." and he disappeared with a puff of smoke.

* * *

Kakashi approached the training grounds with caution. It was difficult to watch out for the Aburame's insects, but he wasn't an elite jōnin for nothing, was he?

He couldn't help but smile at the scene that welcomed him in the main clearing. Naruto was battling with a dozen of his clones and if the state of the grounds were any indication it had been a while since they had started – and they didn't hold back on their jutsu, either.

Shino and Akimi were near the small wood and the girl was obviously teaching her teammate how to climb trees. From what he could see, the Aburame had already made some progresses. He waited to show himself until the true Naruto finally defeated his clones and joined the other two.

"How is it going, dattebayo?" he exclaimed.

"Well." Shino replied. "Thank you for teaching me."

"Nah, we are teammates, we ought to help each other!"

"It will allow me to discover a lot of new species." it looked as if Shino was smiling, even if he was covered by his jacket's collar. "And I can see how useful it is. How come you already know something like this?"

Naruto indicated his best friend. "She reads a lot."

"My grandfather left me a fair amount of scrolls. He wanted me to be able to fend for myself." Akimi looked sad for a second. "And with Naruto's huge reserves we had to look for some kind of chakra control exercise."

Shino nodded, fixing his glasses. "Logical."

"Yo, students!" Kakashi exclaimed, jumping behind them.

He saw Akimi tense, as if she readied herself for a possible attack, before relaxing. Shino didn't react and Naruto jumped towards him, waving his closed fist. _'Interesting...' _

"You're late, sensei!" he shouted.

"Mah, sorry..." Kakashi started, ruffling his hair. "I got lost on the road of life."

"One would think a jōnin had a better sense of direction than that." Akimi pointed out. "We must remember to take some good maps with us when we go out of the village with you."

Kakashi didn't deign her an answer. "Well, kids, how would you like a mission?"

And with that, any trace of annoyance at his lateness disappeared.

"What are we waiting for?" shouted Naruto.

* * *

**Academy, Mission Assignment Desk**

Kakashi guided them to a spacious room in the Ninja Academy. An entire wall was made by high ceiling windows, making it bright and airy. The Hokage sat behind a long desk full of scattered papers and scrolls. Iruka flanked him, to help with most administrative duties. There were several other chūnin on two lateral desks, which usually dealt with incoming mission and the payment of completed ones.

"Ah, Team Kakashi." Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled warmly, puffing from his pipe. "Here for your first mission, I assume?"

"You bet, oji-san!" Naruto yelled. "I am a step closer taking that hat from you."

Akimi placed a hand on her face, resigned. She didn't waste breath reprimanding Naruto for his blatant disrespect. It was a lost cause. And the wizened Kage didn't really mind after all.

"I am sure, Naruto." the old man chuckled, opening a scroll with a green label. "Now, I think I have just the right thing for you three: you can choose between collecting litter from our main park, helping Genku-san moving or pull the weeds off from Yoyju-sama's garden."

There was a second of utter, complete silence. You could've even heard a pin drop. It didn't last long.

"**NANI**?"

Kakashi thought the volume of the scream could have damaged his eardrums. Akimi swatted the blonde. "Forgive him, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen chuckled. "Don't worry." he then looked at the jōnin. "So, what will it be?"

The masked man secretly smirked. "Actually, Hokage-sama, I was wondering if the usual D-rank mission's request to clean the Inuzuka clan's kennels is available."

No, Kakashi Hatake was not a man to hold grudges. But the faces of his three genins when they understood what exactly they would do that day was priceless. _'__Take that, brats!' _Life was good.

* * *

**Later that afternoon, Hokage Office **

"You wanted to speak with us, Hokage-sama?" Akimi asked, as she and Naruto entered the oval office.

Hiruzen nodded and smiled at them. "You seem to have survived the kennels quite well." he said.

"Very funny, old man!" Naruto shouted. "Why did you comply with Kakashi-sensei's request, dattebayo?"

"Spare me, boy. It was too good of a chance to let it pass." Hiruzen puffed with his pipe. "Nobody ever wants to take that mission!"

Akimi snorted. "Wonder why..."

Sarutobi chuckled. "It's the second most hated mission of all time."

"You mean there is something worse?" Naruto breathed, as if in disbelief. "Really?"

"You'll see." the Hokage replied. "Everyone has to go through _that _mission after all."

"So you have called us here just to practice your psychological warfare techniques on us, Sarutobi-sama?" Akimi tilted her head. "You are very busy after all."

"Well, I actually caught up with a lot of old paperwork thanks to Naruto's advice." the old man answered. "So I thought to have a chat with you. I always enjoy your company! How is genin life treating you?"

Akimi and Naruto sat. It was not unusual for them to spend time with the Hokage. They often had ramen together and he came to dinner at the Katora residence one or two times a month. He was like a surrogate grandfather to both of them, especially for Naruto.

"Well, I think it's little early to say. Especially considering that today it was basically just Hatake-sensei's payback on us." Akimi answered. "But it seems good."

Hiruzen laughed jovially at this.

"And I was hoping in more challenging missions, really." Naruto exclaimed. "Those are chores, dattebayo!"

"Indeed they are." Sarutobi looked sharply at them. "Figured out why they exist then?"

"The money income." Akimi replied. "Besides, you can't send out fresh graduated genins just like that. The risk of death is too high."

Sarutobi nodded. "True. True. I sometimes forget you saw firsthand how harsh the world out there is. Anything else?"

"Well, if you look at them from the right angle they are useful to get used to how the other members of the squad work." Naruto observed. "So you can develop teamwork in a protected environment."

"They also teach you patience and mental endurance." Akimi continued. "Sometimes you may not like the mission, but you have to take it anyway."

"Very good answers." Hiruzen nodded at them. "Now I really feel like I can give you two these without feeling too bad. I should not show favoritism, you know."

He took out two scrolls. One was a lot thinner than the other. "Naruto, we don't have a lot of wind users in our ranks, but fortunately my son is one of them, so I asked him to write down some pointers for you. He will gladly meet with you and teach you some techniques when you get more advanced with nature transformation manipulation."

The blonde nodded in excitement.

"Akimi, I told you many times we lack seal experts. I have thought of giving you this a lot times before today, but I decided to wait. Now you are genin, though, so I think it's a good time. It's an old Fūinjutsu scroll from the Hokage's library. So I would like you to give it back when you finish studying it."

"Can I copy it down?"

Hiruzen nodded. "But leave it in your vault."

In that moment all three of them heard a noise from outside and turned in that direction. It sounded like someone was running down the corridor – someone who obviously had not mastered stealth. Then, the door shot opened and a little kid stormed into the room.

"Fight me, old geezer!" he screamed in a small voice. "The title of Godaime Hokage belongs to me: the great Konohamaru!"

Hiruzen looked a little resigned as he watched the boy advance towards him... until he suddenly tripped on his scarf and crashed head first on the ground.

Naruto and Akimi looked at each other a second, before turning back to assess the younger kid. He had short spiky hair and black eyes. He wore a yellow shirt with Konoha symbol in red on the back and had a blue scarf along his neck, which was probably as long as he was tall.

Sarutobi fixed his hat, sighing heavily, as Konohamaru lied helplessly on the ground and moaned in pain, holding his face with his hands.

"Is this a trap?" the kid exclaimed, looking around.

"Honourable grandson!" a voice called from outside, before an adult ninja clad in black entered the room as well. He wore a bandana around his head and his eyes were covered by sunglasses. He stopped on his tracks when he saw Naruto in the room and his stance stiffened.

Akimi noticed it immediately. _'So he is one of the prejudiced idiots of this village. Just my luck: I need to blow some frustration off...'_

Konohamaru got back on his feet and pointed threateningly at Naruto, who was closest to him. "You did something, didn't you? That's how I tripped!"

Naruto looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "You tripped on your own, kid." he spat. "Don't go around blaming others for your own stupidity."

Konohamaru looked taken aback at the bluntness of the statement and almost burst into tears.

"Ehi, have respect, brat!" the mysterious shinobi shouted. "He is the Honourable Grandson of the Sandaime Hokage-sama!"

Konohamaru smirked at Naruto, as if daring to say something else at him. He smugly crossed his arms against his chest.

"Well, he could be kami's son for all I care!" Naruto yelled, swatting the kid on his head. "I'm not going to sugar-coat him just because jiji is his grandfather! BRAT!"

Akimi raised an eyebrow. "Respect is earned. You, shinobi-san, are a helpless adulator."

"WHAT?" the nameless shinobi bellowed. "How dare you?"

"What are you gonna do?" Naruto replied. "Hit me?"

"Why, you brat..."

"Ebisu, that is enough." Hiruzen quietly intervened. "Nothing has happened. I don't think Naruto has hurt Konohamaru too badly..."

The man scoffed, but stopped his soon to be a rant.

"Sarutobi-sama, if this is all, we really need to go." Akimi politely said. "I've promised Naruto to treat him to ramen if he refrained from pranking Hatake-sensei back."

Hiruzen nodded, watching with a little smirk as the two new genins took their scrolls and walked out from the office. Konohamaru was looking at the door with shining eyes: it was awe and admiration.

Ebisu noticed this as well. "Honourable Konohamaru, you are the grandson of Sandaime-sama, you should not get involved with someone like them! No good can come out from it! You cannot." he started to lecture the boy, worried. "I, the elite tutor Ebisu, am never wrong. You want to become the Godaime, right? Well, then you need to listen to me. My teaching is the shortcut for achieving your dream. Do you understand, honorable grandson?"

Ebisu fixed his sunglasses, expecting to receive a positive answer from his student... only to discover Konohamaru had vanished. "What?" he asked, frantically searching around the room.

The Hokage smirked wider. "It looks like he went after Naruto and Akimi."

"What? This is an emergency: I must find him!" and the special tutor ran out of the room.

Sarutobi sighed. _'Ah, I wonder if I was wrong to hire him, sometimes.' _he thought. _'Konohamaru didn't get __any__ better with him... that was the twentieth "ambush" he attempted today.'_

* * *

They realized they were being followed right away. Naruto looked a little annoyed, but Akimi was very amused and whispered to him not to do anything. The duo arrived at Ichiraku and sat down. Konohamaru, hidden behind a house on the other side of the road, kept glancing at them.

"Do you want to join us, Sarutobi-san?" exclaimed Akimi when Ayame served three fuming bowls of ramen on the counter. "We ordered a miso for you."

The kid jumped, startled. He was amazed the girl called him by surname – and that she wanted him to eat with them. But above all, the two older genins hadn't even turned once: how did they know he had followed them?

"Behind you." Akimi said.

Konohamaru turned, a little scared, and saw a small silver cat looking at him. The animal yawned, before tilting her head at him.

"That's my familiar, Kaera." Akimi explained. "She was trailing you while you were trailing us. Remember that in the ninja world prey and predator can easily exchange places, up until the very end. Always be on guard. Now, come, the ramen is getting cold."

The kid quickly ran to them.

"Is this all right or would you like another flavor?" Akimi gently asked. "After all Naruto-kun has finished his first bowl already so he can eat yours while we order another one for you..."

"It's all right." Konohamaru said. "Why are you doing this?"

"Because talking while eating is more pleasant." Akimi replied, eating a handful of her own vegetable bowl. "And I want to know why you followed us."

Naruto swallowed the last noodle of his first meal. "Ohi, old man, get to it already! I'm hungry."

Akimi smiled at the kid. "Don't mind him, his eating manners are awfully despicable. So, is something wrong?"

"I want you to teach me!" the kid shouted. "You two seem to be seriously cool. Not like sunglasses-sensei."

"We don't have time to waste, brat." Naruto shouted, with his mouth full – Ayame had given him another bowl – before gulping down to avoid suffocating. "We are busy!"

Akimi looked at her friend in contempt. "What did I tell you about eating with your mouth full?"

"Not to do it?" Naruto replied. "I also told you that this time I'll probably _won't_ listen to you..."

She sighed. "Sarutobi-san, we just became genins. While we do have some time to spare, I'm sure that Ebisu-san is a lot better than us."

Konohamaru looked at his bowl. "He keeps going on about boring stuff..."

"The basics?" Akimi guessed.

"Yes." the kid pouted. "Why doesn't he teach me some cool jutsu or whatever?!"

Akimi raised an eyebrow. _'I wonder why I'm suddenly having a déjà vu...' _

"I was like you too." Naruto suddenly said. He had just finished his third bowl. "I'm actually still like it, but don't tell anyone."

Akimi giggled. "They already know, believe me."

The blonde scoffed. "You want to be able to blow something up, or to breathe fire, or to unleash a wave of water on someone. Something big, something impressive. Do you not?" he asked. "Well, someone once said me that it's not the number of jutsu you know that matters, but how well you can use them. Basics are very boring, but are also very important."

"Who did?" Konohamaru asked. "Maybe he can teach me as well."

"She did." Naruto indicated Akimi with one of his sticks. "But you have got your own elite tutor to teach you, so stuff it."

Konohamaru looked a little put out. "But I..."

"Oh, come on, Naruto-kun, don't be so mean now!" Akimi exclaimed. "Sarutobi-san, what about if we agree to spend some time with you and teach you a little? But you have to promise you will also listen and work hard with Ebisu-san as well."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, it may be fun after all."

Konohamaru's eyes shined with delight. "Oh you two are the best, bosses!" he jumped down from his stroll in excitement. "When do we start?"

"Calm down." Akimi laughed. "Naruto-kun has to eat at least another dozen or so bowls before we can safely leave."

* * *

"Your house is so cool!" Konohamaru shouted, as they arrived on the private training grounds. "You live alone?"

"Yes." Naruto somberly answered. "But it could be worse. At least with got each other. And also Kakashi-sensei and jiji, I suppose."

"Jiji?"

"Your grandfather." Akimi answered. "Alongside with his manners, I'll be never be able to make him understand he should respect the Hokage, as he is our leader. What's your deal with Sandaime-sama, anyway? Why did you try to attack him?"

The small boy looked a little annoyed and saddened. "He was the one to give me the name Konohamaru, after the village. Although everyone should know it, they never call me that. It's always 'Honorable Grandson' here and 'The Sandaime Hokage's Grandson' there. I'm so sick of it. Nobody ever sees me as an individual." he explained. "That's why I want the title of Hokage now!"

"Why do we live in a village full of idiots?" Akimi muttered.

"Baka!" Naruto shouted instead. "Nobody is going to recognize as Hokage right now. You are only a kid! It's not a title you can claim easily."

"NANI?" Konohamaru protested.

"It's not easy. You keep saying 'Hokage, Hokage' but if you want that title so badly..." Naruto stopped.

Akimi shook her head. _'Oh, boy...' _

"What?" asked Konohamaru in anticipation. "What?"

"You need to defeat me first!"

Konohamaru gaped.

"Right, right..." Akimi coughed to gather the two boys attention. "Let's not fight over something like this. Well, Konohamaru, I will call you by name if it makes you feel better. Now, what do you want us to teach you?"

Konohamaru shrugged. "Something cool."

"Mmm." she said. "Well, what about something that will help you with camouflage? You are somehow lacking in that arena."

"Ehi!" the boy protested. "I'm good with it, what's wrong with my disguises?"

"Err, I am not sure, but hiding in a fence that has vertical boards with a quilt that has horizontal ones is a little too _obvious._" Naruto said. "The essence of camouflage is observing. You need to notice each detail so to blend in as best as you can."

"Next time you walk in the village, look around, _see _what is around you. Wonder what places would be good to hide in and so on." Akimi continued.

"In the meantime, we'll teach you the most useful technique a ninja has to conceal themselves. **Henge.**" Naruto crossed his fingers in the ram seal and "pop" he became a small rock. Konohamaru gaped in awe and when he turned, Akimi looked just like Naruto.

"When you use Henge to assume someone's appearance, it's very important you know them well enough to pull off a convincing impression, dattebayo!" and she ruffled her hair just like Naruto usually did. "Details are what make a Transformation believable."

Konohamaru nodded, just as the two genins returned to their normal selves.

"Now then, how good is your chakra control?"

* * *

Ebisu looked all around the village for Konohamaru. He had gone to every stand that sold ramen in Konoha, to no avail. _'Where on earth could they be?' _he wondered. He was worried about what the Kyūbi's gaki could do, or teach to the honorable grandson. He walked with a defeated look along the main road of the village, when he met Iruka for pure chance. He remembered the chūnin knew the brat very well.

"Iruka-san, do you know where I could find the Uzumaki kid?"

Iruka smiled. "Have you tried to Ichiraku?"

The tokubetsu jōnin nodded. "He was not there."

"Well, then you should try at his home. It's big mansion in the East district. You know the one which was abandoned twelve years ago?"

Ebisu looked surprised. "I thought he was an orphan."

"He lives with Katora Akimi – those two are inseparable. She was the rookie of this year's graduates. They are on Kakashi's squad."

"Kakashi passed them?" Ebisu fixed his sunglasses, now also mildly impressed. "You are sure I can find him there?"

"Well, he could always be around... doing some mischief. But Akimi should know where he is then. If she isn't at her house you'll find her at the Library."

Ebisu nodded. "Thank you, Iruka-san." and he Sunshined again.

* * *

"Well done." Akimi nodded, as Konohamaru released the Henge that made him look as Naruto. "You still need to work on the voice a little, though."

"Damn it, you are a harsh teacher, Akimi-nee."

She smiled at him, ruffling his hair. "I know I am."

"Ohi" he protested.

"You are good kid, Konohamaru."

Akimi looked over at the waterfall, where Naruto was working on chakra control with his clones. "Get over here, 'to-kun. It's your turn to teach Konohamaru something." she lowered her voice. "'to-kun is better at taijutsu than me."

The kid jumped in excitement, just as Naruto reached them with a high jump, making an acrobatic flip midway. "So, what about we have a spar first, kid?" he asked. "I promise I'll go easy with ya, dattebayo."

Konohamaru immediately dropped in an offensive stance, charging towards him. He tripped and landed once again with his face first on the ground.

Naruto put his hands on his hips. "Right, you either shorten that scarf or learn how to run without tripping on it! You need to be mindful of your steps. Your feet and your legs: they are the key for your stability. And stability is very important in a fight."

"But I like this scarf like it is!"

"Then don't trip on it, now, show me how you punch someone and... 'mi-chan, what is it?"

"The perimeter seal just went off." she looked on the trees near the wall of the training grounds. "We have visitors."

"Who is it?" he asked, tensing.

"Ebisu-san."

"Honourable grandson!" shouted the black clad ninja, jumping down and running towards them. "What are you doing here? Come, only with my teaching you can..."

"Oh cut it off already!" Naruto shouted. "If you an elite teacher then we are as well as screwed! You are filling Konohamaru's head with crap! There is no shortcut to become Hokage. Only through hard work you can gain the skills and recognition needed to get that hat. So stop ranting about your own greatness and teach him something useful, dattebayo!"

Konohamaru looked at him in awe, while Ebisu stiffened. Naruto knew that expression well: contempt and coldness. _'He is one of them... one of those who think I am the fox' _he looked at Akimi and she nodded. Naruto smirked. Time to teach that idiot a lesson then.

"Step back, Konohamaru." Naruto said. "I'll show you how you properly charge at someone."

The man laughed. "What are you doing, kid? I am one of Konoha's finest..."

"I think we need to zip Ebisu-san's mouth a little." Akimi observed, crossing her arms. "You don't mind if we face you two on one, do you? You are an elite, after all."

Before Ebisu could answer, Naruto charged at him at full speed, almost too quick to be seen. The man had to quickly blocked with his arms the sweeping kick Naruto aimed at his mid-section, but by then Akimi's had joined the fight, going for his uncovered legs. Ebisu pushed Naruto away and jumped back, just as Akimi launched a couple of shuriken at him.

The man easily dodged them, but had to further retreat as Naruto charged him after making four clones.

"Well, at least you seem to know what you are doing." Naruto observed. "Maybe you are worthy of teaching the kid, after all..."

"But you still need to work on your attitude." Akimi exclaimed. "Trespassing is a crime in Konoha. Next time I'll call ANBU. **Activate.**"

Suddenly, a strong jolt of electricity passed through Ebisu's body. One Naruto rushed at him and knocked him out with the handle of a kunai.

"Now remember, Konohamaru." Akimi lectured, as two clones hurried to take the unconscious shinobi outside. "Never underestimate your enemy, it leads right to your own downfall."

"How did you do it?" the kid exclaimed, amazed.

"Akimi-chan is very paranoid. These grounds are filled with trap seals. That was a simple Jolting seal. It sends some sparks into one's nervous system, slowing them down if not completely paralyzing them for a few seconds." Naruto explained. "And few seconds are often more than enough."

"Can you teach me?"

"Fūinjutsu requires time, devotion and constant exercise." Akimi seriously said. "Maybe I'll show you something next time."

"Sugoi!" Konohamaru shouted. "I'm so telling how incredible you are to Moegi-chan and Udon-kun! They probably will want to meet you as well."

"Wait a second, you mean there is more of you brats?" Naruto exclaimed, his eyes widening in horror. He then decided to pull a Shikamaru. "What a drag."

* * *

**November – December, 213**

Team Kakashi kept doing D-rank missions in the next few months. Eventually, Naruto got really fed up with it, and only Akimi's intervention had stopped him from going on a rampage.

"We are learning patience and teamwork, remember? Now shut up and get moving. That hay isn't going to tie it's self up!"

The silver haired jōnin had created a somewhat harsh regimen of training for his three genins. He still arrived two hours late for everything. Akimi and Naruto worked with Shino during those times to help him with chakra control. The secretive bug boy was starting to warm up to the energetic duo.

After Kakashi arrived they spent an hour working on teamwork. They then proceeded to do one mission and then had training. Kakashi followed his student's example and used Kage Bunshin to work with each of them on taijutsu. The real one usually dealt with Naruto, because the boy hit the hardest of the three.

Friday, they did survival training. It was some sort of Battle Royal against Kakashi or against Naruto's clones. It was the blonde's favorite day, of course.

They had weekends free. Shino used them to study ninjutsu with his clan and Kakashi spent some hours with Akimi and Naruto in their compound's training grounds. Not all the time, of course. The jōnin said the kids ought to enjoy themselves as well.

Kakashi promised them than once they completed 30 D rank missions he would take them on 2 C ranks. Naruto complained, but as he had a goal he soon set to get onto it. However, Kakashi never let them do more than one or two missions per day. It was obvious he wanted to keep them in the village for as long as possible. Akimi thought he wanted to delay their first kill. _'Kind of too late for that...' _

However, both her and Naruto had grown under Kakashi tutelage. The jōnin was laid back, yes, but he was very proficient in all the three ninja arts. He helped them especially in taijutsu, even though his area of expertise was obviously ninjutsu.

Kaera had told her that, in her opinion, Kakashi was not an earth type nor a water one. That meant he had another affinity and that he mastered two natures besides his. It was impressive.

Naruto and Akimi spent some of their free time playing "ninja" with the Konohamaru corps. The two young genins enjoyed their time with the three children, which served to make their life lighter.

* * *

**December, 27****th**** 213**

Akimi was working on refining her Katon ability to burn earth and thus engraving seals. It was very difficult, because it required lots of control and chakra. Plus, an error would be fatal. It would be years before she could use it effectively in combat. Moreover, she needed to learn some Doton jutsu to use it better. Like hiding in the earth and creating seals.

Anyway, she had been working on a concrete slab of stone, in the room Naruto called her lab, when she felt her reserves where almost finished. She looked at the Shadow Clone that was doing the same exercise. "You can still keep going?"

"Aye, boss."

"Do so. When you run out of chakra, please meditate." Akimi nodded at the clone. "I think I'll go start dinner."

She headed towards the kitchen, but stopped with surprise when she saw Naruto sitting in the middle of the garden, deep in thought. He was not meditating, meaning that there was some problem. Naruto just didn't stay still. He was the most active person in the bloody village.

Concerned, she slowly reached him. "...'to-kun." she said, sitting near him. "What's up?"

"I'm thinking." Naruto said. "I had one clone going through my clan's scrolls. The history ones, since there are only Suiton and Kenjutsu scroll and the Fūinjutsu ones are too complicated."

Akimi nodded. "I bet it was kind of a bitter experience, uh?"

Naruto smiled sadly. "It's both comforting and depressing to know your roots, but also that you are the only one left."

"Maybe you should add 'reforming the clan' to your dream's list." Akimi said.

"Maybe." Naruto said. "I found out something that really bothered me. The last scroll was Kenshin's diary. It told of how he believed his sister, Kushina, was one of the last Uzumaki alive, because she went to Konoha to assist a certain 'Mito-sama', since she had a special chakra or something. He hoped that your family could contact her."

"Which we couldn't do because of our own problems..." Akimi rubbed her chin. "Do you think this Kushina is your mother?"

"My guts tell me so. The thing is..." Naruto stopped. "... if I took my Mum's surname, what about my father?"

Akimi stopped to think. "There are various scenarios. Sandaime-sama told you that they were both shinobi. Maybe he died before he could recognize you."

"He also said they both died fighting the bastard fox."

Akimi didn't dare nor particularly wanted to reprimand him for language. "Maybe they weren't married, so with him being dead you were simply given your mother's name."

"Or he didn't want me. That's why he let me become..."

"Naruto!" Akimi stopped him. "You are not a demon."

"Of course, of course. It's just... ah, I hate to be this pessimist, but I can't help it."

"Well, you can't possibly know, unless you are told, but I doubt the Sandaime will tell you anytime soon." She didn't use the honorific suffix showing her disdain for this particular decision of the old leader. "But you should not think the worst. As I said, there could be many explanations, 'to-kun. For example, maybe there were other Uzumaki's here, one of them could be your _father_."

"Yeah, well, how can we know, anyway?"

"One of your parents was an Uzumaki, this we know because of the blood seal." Akimi said. "And we know they died fighting the Kyūbi. I doubt Sandaime would lie to you about _that_. So there is a place where we can check."

"The memorial stone!" Naruto exclaimed. "Fancy a visit to it?"

"You bet, 'to-kun."

* * *

Beside the mysterious Mito Kenish had mentioned in his diary, there was only one Uzumaki on the stone. Kushina.

Naruto traced the letters, feeling his eyes water. "Kaa-san." he murmured.

Akimi stood behind him, a sad smile on her lips. It had been years since she visited her parents or her granddad's graves. There was a bittersweet sense of closure, like you were somewhere closer to them.

"I was five years old." Akimi said. "And at the time I couldn't really understand why my parents died. I only knew they weren't there and that I missed them."

Naruto didn't say anything.

"Gramps told me that the people who loved us never really leave us. They are all watching over us. I'm sure than Kushina-san is watching over you, as your dad does."

Naruto nodded. "It should make no difference. I mean, right, I know her name, but I still will never be able to meet her or..."

"You should know the importance of names, 'to-kun." Akimi got closer to him and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "They make everything feel more real."

"Do you think she is proud of me?"

Akimi smiled. "Of course she is. You are an amazing ninja and even a more amazing friend."

"Even though..."

"It's precisely because you carry such a burden, such a malign entity... and yet you are so... pure. You held no true malice in you, Naruto. That's what makes you amazing."

Naruto raised and hugged her. "You'll make me blush, 'mi-chan."

She laughed. "I only speak the truth. And soon everyone shall see it."

Naruto smiled once again. "That's enough serious and sad talking. Let us have some ramen, dattebayo!"

Akimi laughed harder. "Welcome back!"

"Last one who arrives has to pay!" Naruto exclaimed while running away.

"Oh, you damn baka!" and she went after him.

* * *

**January, 24****th**** 214**

"Very well, Team 7." Hiruzen smiled at them from the desk of the Mission Hall, Iruka on his side. "Today you will have an important mission."

"What, what, dattebayo?"

Akimi glared at him from behind her book on Katon manipulation. _'Don't get your hopes up, baka!'_

"Recovering the lost pet, Tora. It's the cat of the Daimyō's wife, Madame Shijimi. You can recognize her by the red ribbon on her left ear. Good luck." _'You'll need it'. _Iruka said.

"Really, recovering a cat?" asked Naruto. "We are bloody ninja not..."

"Naruto!" Akimi exclaimed. "Don't bother Hokage-sama with your whining, let's go. There is a lost pet to save."

"Yeah, such a heroic act." complained Naruto, following the girl out.

Shino stayed silent. Kakashi smirked, reading his porn. _'So they __finally have__ the chance to meet Tora... the terror of all the genins of Konohagakure no Sato since the founding of the village.' _In fact, somehow a lost pet called Tora always needed to be recovered. It was a rite of passage for all the shinobi of the village, some Hokage included.

"So what is your plan?" asked Kakashi, as usual, while the walked down the main street.

"Sensei, is there a record time for this mission?" Akimi asked, quietly.

"Yeah. My own sensei, the Yondaime, who was one of the fastest shinobi ever, captured her in two hours. When I was a genin, I spent five four hours looking for Tora with my team. She is very devious."

"Really, now?" Akimi smirked.

"I'll send out my Kikaichū. They'll find her." Shino said, curtly.

"Oh, that will not be necessary, Shino." Akimi smirked more widely. "Kaera, go."

The silver tiger leaped away.

"Kids, we need to get going." Kakashi said. "Tora isn't going to pop out suddenly just because...

"Wait, sensei, just wait." Akimi said.

"Uh." Naruto grinned, nodding in understanding. "This is golden. Maybe we should use this as a way to boost our mission records."

"What do you mean?" asked Kakashi, wondering what the two were up to this time.

"Kaera is a tiger. A ninja tiger. Not only, but she is of high ranking within the tribe. As such she lords over smaller felines." Naruto explained. "She can actually ask normal cats for information and..."

"No freaking way." Kakashi exclaimed, seeing Kaera returning towards them, bigger than usual (she was the size of a medium dog) and followed by a strangely subdued Tora.

"Red ribbon, check." Akimi said, looking over at the fat, brown cat. She picked the animal up. "Mission find the lost pet, Tora: success. Another notch in our belt."

Kakashi gaped.

"Sixteen minutes and forty five seconds." Shino said. "Looks like a new record."

The silver haired jōnin wasn't the only one gaping when the team returned victorious to the Hokage.

"You are already here! How?" asked Iruka. "And why aren't you even scratched?"

"My clan," started Akimi, "has been allied with tigers for centuries. Cat are naturally scared of us."

Tora meowed, as if voicing a small protest, but didn't even attempt to free herself.

"Where is the fortunate owner of this lovely animal?" Akimi asked.

"Tora-chan! Oh, Tora-chan, I was so worried." The cat squealed a little in Akimi's grasp, but a small growl from Kaera quieted her. The girl smiled politely at the Fire Lady, giving her the pet.

"Thank you so much! I was so worried." the woman exclaimed, hugging the cat with all her strength. The poor cat looked like it was about to suffocate.

"Would you like another mission?" the Hokage said, smiling at them. "By the way, congratulation on the record. This is going on your file."

Akimi raised an eyebrow at him with a 'are you kidding me?' look.

"Anyway, you can choose between babysitting Yoyju-sama's grandson, going to grocery shopping in a neighboring village, helping dig up potatoes or..."

"Tora-chan, no!"

"... retrieving Tora again. Our most common and dreaded repeat."

"We'll do that." Akimi said. "Kaera."

The small tiger leaped, growling in happiness.

"She enjoys the chase. I should let her hunt more often, poor darling" Akimi smiled, shrugging at the two surprised men. They sweat dropped. "She'll be back in about five minutes. I put a tracking seal on the wayward pet. In the meantime we can choose our next mission. But first, Sandaime-sama, would you mind checking our records and tell us how many missions we've done?"

Kakashi eye smiled.

"Sure thing." Hiruzen smiled. "Ah, with this one is 30. Good job, it's an impressive milestone."

"31." Akimi said. "Kaera is going to catch that cat soon. Sensei, don't you have something to say?"

"Congratulation, my students." the jōnin said. "Hokage-sama, I would like to request a C-rank mission for my team."

"Are you crazy?" Iruka bellowed. "They are only rookies! They are not ready for such a mission yet!"

Akimi lowered her book. "Can we spar with him, sensei?" she innocently asked. Naruto was doing puppy eyes near her. He saw one of Shino's bugs fly in excitement.

"No." Kakashi said, scared for the safety of chūnin. He put a hand on her shoulder and another on Naruto's hair, both to show affection and to stop them if necessary. "This team is strong. Far stronger than a normal rookie one. They could probably have done C-rank missions right after graduation, but they maturely agreed to fulfill 30 D rank missions before doing so. They earned this. How many missions have Asuma's and Kurenai's brats done?" He felt a warm wave of chakra from Akimi, showing appreciation. It had been hard to break the girl's shell, but he was doing it.

"Team 8's done 11." Iruka tentatively said. "And team 10's done 14."

"I believe Kakashi is more than an able judge. Oh, look, Tora is here. Congratulation for your success, Team 7." Hiruzen smiled. "Now, I think I have just the right thing for you."

"What is it? What is it, dattebayo?" Naruto asked, jumping excitedly.

Hiruzen chuckled at his antics. "It's an escort mission. A very simple one, as an extra proof of your capability. Send him in."

"Who are we going to escort? A princess? A Daymō? A star actor?"

"Baka, we are genins." Akimi said. "It'll be a merchant or the sort."

Naruto pouted, but in that moment an elderly man entered. He was tall and wore a pointed hat of straw. He had a sleeveless black shirt with a towel around his shoulders and carried a bottle of booze and his cheeks were red.

"Ah, Tazuna-san, welcome." the Hokage smiled.

"What's this? Looks only like a bunch of brats, to me. They don't look like a threat to me. Look at the dumb expression of the blond one... is he really a ninja? And the girl? She doesn't even look 10 years old. She is so short!"

Akimi flared up her killing intent. "I'm petite!" she hissed.

"And you are only a stinking drunkard! Insult Akimi-chan again and I'll..." Naruto sent a wave of wind against the man, hitting his bottle. "... cut you to pieces."

"If I don't burn you down first." Akimi spat, smacking her lips as if she was sending a kiss. A small firefly of flames appeared from her lips, lighting up the alcohol.

"Calm down." Kakashi said, holding them back. "Killing our client is not a good idea." The jōnin knew if there was something Akimi hated was impoliteness (unless it was Naruto) and insults to her best friend. The fool had done both.

Iruka and Tazuna had eyes the size of tennis ball.

"Tazuna-san, these are very capable genins, I assure you. I've personally trained them. In fact, you are looking at the unpredictable one man army: Uzumaki Naruto" he indicated the blonde. "A living hive... silent but deadly: Aburame Shino." Shino bowed. "And one of the most brilliant kunoichi Konoha has seen in years, who is quite capable to set half the village on fire, if angered: Katora Akimi"

Naruto and Akimi beamed at his praise, forgetting their annoyance.

"And I am myself one of the top ranking jōnin of the village, Hatake Kakashi. So what do you require of us, Tazuna-san?"

"I'm the great bridge builder Tazuna! I expect you to protect me with your life once we go back to my country, Nami no Kuni, until I complete the bridge."

'_With our life?' _Akimi thought. _'Now, that's strange for a C-rank mission. And why is he drunk at this time of the day?' _

Kakashi nodded. "Very well, then. Team, meet me at the main gate in two hours. Prepare for a two week trip and say your goodbyes. Go!"

* * *

**CHAPTER'S NOTES:**

_About mission records__: so if you look at the official Naruto's stats – that I got from Narutopedia by the way – it appears than none of the rookies have completed more than 20 D rank missions. So, I asked myself: how could it be? They are ninja, they can move quicker and enhance themselves with chakra and yet they can't do more than those relatively ridiculous chores? I mean, when Kabuto shows his cards at the Chūnin Exam, Rock Lee got 20 D-rank and 11 C rank. That is good and well, but it means that in one year (more than one year actually) Team Guy only had time to do 20 chore like mission? Or did they actually fail them? I mean, come on! Especially because other characters, i.e. Kakashi and the rest of the jōnin and tokubetsu jōnin have hundreds of D missions filled into their records! So I decided to boost Team 7's record (well, Team Guy as well)._

_Second, Kage Bunshin for paperwork__. Well, this a cliché I know... but it makes sense, does it? Sometime I think that Naruto's characters lack logic. The only strange thing about it, is that the Sandaime was known to use Kage Bunshin a lot in his prime and yet he never thought about using it to deal with paperwork? Come on, the man's nickname is the Professor! Despite this I thought that Naruto telling him "the big secret" was a little hilarious so..._

_As for the Tora thing... I simply thought it was funny. Well, every story needs some humor. Hope I got it right._

_That's all for now._


	9. Chap 8 C rank mission

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

_**EDITED: 26**__**th**__** January 2013**_

_**Author's note**__: Thanks to everyone for reading. I'm really enjoying writing this fic and I'm happy you are also liking it! Now, to answer the points you have made:_

_1) Akimi's age: she is actually younger than Naruto. She said to the Hokage she was almost eleven, but her birthday is in early march and they are in October in that moment. That makes the difference between Naruto and Akimi around six months._

_2) About using "" for speech and '' for thoughts, I know English people use them this way, but here in Italy is different, so I use this «» for speech instead. Does it bother you guys a lot? Cause change it now would it be a lot of work (I've already tons of pages written). _[EDITED]

_In this chapter, when secret sign language is used, it is delimited by 'Italics' _

_3) Kage Bunshin: I corrected the part about the simple technique being forbidden (only major reproduction is, because it's dangerous). I only stated the technique is extremely dangerous. (EDITED, CHAP 3) Of course, the Third can't use Kage Bunshin extensively because of his age, but using them in battle is different than using them for paperwork. He simply has to sit for doing that. (although is very boring)_

_4) EDITED: Kiba is not a clear head, I changed it. Poor Hana, I had forgotten about her! =)_

_5) Even if Minato and Kushina were named Uzumaki family anyhow, Naruto and Akimi can't know this, so they only assume..._

_I hope that clears it, if not write me back._

_In these chapter there are the first serious fighting scenes. I hope I wrote them decently, I think they are among the most difficult ones to write._

**C-RANK MISSION**

**Journey to wave country**

The three genins met in front of the gates two hours later. Kakashi appeared with a puff of smoke, immediately after them.

"You are on time!" Naruto barked, pointing a finger to him. "Impostor." he accused.

"This is a mission, Naruto. I'm taking this seriously." the jōnin crossed his arms. "Show me your equipment."

Shino had a small rucksack, along with some scrolls (he was the teammate of two budding seal users/masters, he was bound to pick up something from them). Kakashi nodded at him in approval. "What about you two?"

"Camping equipment. Extra weapons. Extra sealing equipment. Food for one month. Basic first aid kit. Some books, scrolls and a shogi table." Akimi counted on her fingers.

"Same without the books and shogi table. But I do have a couple of scrolls with me." Naruto said.

"Ah, the pleasure of having seal users with us." Kakashi eye smiled. "Anything else?"

"We had clones check up information on Wave Country." Akimi said. "And Tazuna-san does seem a little shifty."

Kakashi nodded. Kaera had the ability to read people quite well, he knew. "Be extra alert. Do you remember the ANBU signals I taught you?"

He received three "Hai." In answer.

"Good job." the jōnin replied. "Now, this what we are going to do. Naruto, make a dozen of clones. Send them ahead. They are to dispel if they find anything. Kaera, also go with them. But stay close."

"Meow!" "**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." **

"Good. Shino, I want also your Kikaichū to scout ahead. As for formation: Naruto you take point with Akimi. Shino stays beside the client. I'll take the rear."

"Hai, sensei!"

"Oh, there you are." Tazuna, looking even drunker than he was before, stumbled towards them. "Ready to go?"

"Maybe I should make a clone to carry him." Naruto observed. "Cause he doesn't look like he can walk for more than a couple of miles."

Kakashi sighed. "Naruto," he said, sighing, "I shall keep teaching you during this mission. And the first lesson I'm going to give you is this..." he soundly smacked him on the head. "Don't insult the client in front of them. It looks bad."

"Ouch."

The silver haired jōnin smiled. "And now let's go, team, Tazuna-san."

* * *

Team 7 and a nervous looking Tazuna were walking around the roads towards the south of Hi no Kuni. The sun was shining, the day was wonderful, and they were walking on a semi deserted road surrounded by high, trees.

"Have you been here before, 'mi-chan?"

Akimi smiled. "I was very little. We started with travelling in the South and I remember seeing the coast near Nami, but we never went there."

Naruto nodded. Then Akimi slowed down. "_There is a puddle ahead. Genjutsu. Two chakra signatures." _she signaled.

"Mah, the time is very pleasant isn't it?" said Kakashi in that moment. "We can keep going for a lot longer." They felt two Kikaichū land on their hand, showing them that Shino was on the plan as well.

"You are right, sensei!" exclaimed Naruto, getting the message. As the road turned, he saw the small puddle in the middle of the path. _'That's stupid. Even if we didn't have chakra sensors with us, it hasn't rained for days.' _

As they passed past the puddle, nothing happened.

"_They are going for Kakashi. He is the strongest." _Akimi signaled again. "_Be ready._"

Tazuna passed the puddle as well, followed by Shino. But when Kakashi, who was lazily reading his porn, stepped near it, it happened.

Two men materialized from nothingness, their appearance quite dark and sinister. They wore dark clothes, with a Kiri headband, one decorated with two horns, the other with only one. They had on re-breather, which covered half of their faces, but showed their malicious dark eyes. They each were armed with a metal gauntlet, which could apparently release a chain shuriken. They evidently attacked in tandem.

They had managed to capture Kakashi in their chain, shredding him to pieces. The sight did make the genins freeze for a second.

"One down" one of the enemy shinobi said, the one with two horns. "Four to go."

They made to move towards the client and the frozen genins when Akimi screamed. "Protect the client!" before leaping towards them, her hands moving through hand seals. "**Katon: Housenka no jutsu!" **

A dozen of small fireballs burst out from her mouth, rushing towards the two men. They easily dodged them, but it was enough of a distraction.

"**Fūton: Kaze Kunai!**" Naruto screamed. Nothing seemed to happen.

The two nunkenins laughed at keeping their advantage, but stopped when an invisible blade cut their chain in two.

"Shino, retreat with the client. Akimi, support me. And now, let's get to business. **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**" Naruto screamed, making another dozen of blondes appear out of nowhere. "Attack!"

From his place on the tree, Kakashi looked on with approval at his genins. _'Akimi didn't even __falter__. She has already seen battles... she awoke her teammates, __and__ then distracted the enemy. Naruto can obviously command very well in battlefield. Good, good. But the enemy is interested in Tazuna. Curious.'_

The two nins growled. "You'll pay for that, brat!" the one with two horns screamed. He leaped upon the clones, shredding them to pieces with the claw connected to his gauntlet.

"Poison." the true Naruto said. "Be careful."

"Attack from distance." Akimi replied.

Naruto nodded. "Cover me."

Naruto jumped into the trees as the two Kiri ninja cut down the last of his clones.

"Looks like your friend escaped. Too afraid to face true ninja, eh?"

"More like he thought I could take you down myself." Akimi smirked. "**Housenka no Jutsu!**"

"Same trick again?" the one horned nin ducked the projectiles. "We are from Kiri. We use water, Konoha nin."

"**Suiton: Mizurappa!" **the two horned man screamed, after taking out a bottle of water. A small bullet of condensed water shot towards Akimi.

"Your mastery over water is imprecise!" the girl shouted. "**Katon: Hi no Tate" **The shield of fire was hot, blazing and raging. The water clashed over it, creating a dense steam. _'Your cover, Naruto-Kun.'_

"Damn brat!" the two horned nin shouted. "Just wait until...!"

"Duck, idiot!" the other nunkenin exclaimed, seeing the shadowy shape of several shuriken coming towards them.

As they did so, two Naruto jumped behind their back.

"NOW, 'mi-chan."

"**Fudou no Fūin." **Akimi screamed. "Activate."

As the steam faded away, the two paralyzed nunkenins were revealed, a Naruto clone holding a blade at their throats. A cloud of Kikaichū was descending towards them. Kakashi appeared near him, eye smiling. "Well done, team." he then glared at the two nins. "The Demon Brothers, Gōzu and Meizu, two chūnin-level nunkenins from Kiri. Akimi-chan, do you have some chakra suppression seals with you?"

"Yep." the girl came nearer, giving the jōnin two scrolls. "They are too complex for me right now to draw them on simple tags."

"Don't worry. It's already impressive." Kakashi ruffled her hair and proceeded to put the seal on the two nins, activate it, and then bind them to a nearby tree. "Our patrol will find them. But I'm curious, who was your target?"

"As if we would tell you!" the two horned man shouted.

"You will never survive, anyway. Your next opponent will be beyond your level." the other said, more calmly.

"I didn't really want to do this, but... team, leave us."

But then, without any forewarning, the two dropped unconscious. Kakashi checked their pulse. "They are dead. Poison. Well, it looks like they did have some honor after all."

"They died to protect either their employer or their comrades. It's impressive, if not a little sad." Akimi said.

Naruto looked bothered, so the girl took one of his hand, squeezing. Shino was silent, shadowing a flabbergasted Tazuna.

"Mmm." Kakashi said. "Maybe Tazuna-san can enlighten us a little."

"W-What do you m-mean, Kakashi-san?"

Kakashi shrugged. "The two Chūnins were aiming at you. After all, nobody would send two simple chūnin after me and none of my genin has any reason to be hunted. You requested a C-rank mission, Tazuna-san, in which the greatest threat would be a group of bandits. You lied, since you have ninja after you. I advise you now to tell the truth."

Tazuna's shoulder fell. "Yes, yes I lied... and I think you deserve to hear my story. I want you to." he said. "But please, don't blame me. An extremely powerful and terrible man is after me."

"Who?" Kakashi asked, seriously.

"The business man and shipping magnate, Gatō."

"Gatō of the Gatō Shipping Company?" Kakashi asked. "He has business in all the South Seas! He is one of the richest men in this world..."

"His company is only a front. In reality he is a drug dealer and a smuggler. He uses his wealth to hire mercenaries and ninja, and then he takes over companies and even whole countries. He is a very nasty and cruel man. A year ago, he set his sights on my country. He quickly seized power using his money and violence. Now he has Nami in an iron grip! We are basically under an embargo from his ships. Our economy has quickly collapsed... as it is normal as our land is an island. We are extremely poor. We are starving... That is why I could pay only for a C-rank mission! That's all the money all of Wave Country had."

"You could have spoken with Hokage-sama. He is a fair and reasonable man. You could have worked out a deal." Akimi softly said.

"You don't understand, this bridge is our country's only hope! It's the only thing Gatō is afraid of. If I finish it, we will break his monopoly on our transport system. Trade could start again, I... I have to finish it."

"While your motives are commendable, Tazuna-san, you lied about the mission parameters. We are not bounded to help you anymore. We should go back to Konoha and leave you here. However, I'll let my team decide."

"Please, I have a daughter and a grandson! If I died they..."

"Don't." Naruto shouted. "Don't beg. You don't need to, dattebayo. When I became a ninja, it was so that my strength could be used to help others. This Gatō-teme won't know what it him. I say we continue. I'm not about to bolt from my first serious mission!"

Akimi nodded besides him. "You are a filthy drunk, Tazuna-san." she said. The bridge builder sweat dropped. "An extremely filthy drunk. But your courage and spirit is super inspiring. We continue."

"We continue" Shino said, also. He was not a man of many words.

Kakashi looked at three genins. "Are you sure?"

"Hai!"

"My sensei once told me that below courage there is nothing." Kakashi said. "And abadon our duty is not courageous. We continue."

Tazuna bowed to them. "Thank you, thank you!"

"You should not thank us yet." Kakashi darkly said. "Our next foe will be on another level. Be on your guard. We'll take up a new formation. I'll take point. Shino, you take rear. Naruto, Akimi, you are on the sides. Akimi-chan, when will you recover?"

"I'll be fine in a couple of hours."

"If we are attacked before that you are to guard the client while we fight. If our next enemy is too strong, I'll face them. Alone."

"Hai, sensei."

"Let's go."

* * *

**January, 30****th**** 214 – coast near Nami no Kuni.**

There was a thick fog all around. You could barely see past your nose. The rest of the trip had been quiet. Kakashi, however, was not reassured. It would be too easy that way.

"This is technically a B rank mission now. Maybe even A-rank. Stay alert." he said, as they watched Tazuna climb on the small boat. The bridge builder had a friend who was willing to ship them to Nami, bypassing Gatō's patrols.

The genins sharply nodded. They had shown courage in accepting to continue the mission, but they were not so reckless to underestimate the situation. Well, maybe Naruto was – a little.

As they slowly proceeded through the mist, Naruto spoke up, quietly. "I hate this... the fog is making me angsty."

"It's a good thing there is so much. It makes us invisible." the boat owner said. "You don't want Gatō's thugs to find us."

"It's not his thugs that worry us." Akimi murmured. "But his hired missing nins."

"Don't worry, Akimi-chan." Kakashi said, even though the seriousness of the situation was displayed by the fact that he was **not **reading his porn. "I'll never let my comrades be killed."

The girl nodded at him, but she had a grim face. Naruto supposed she was thinking about her parents and granddad.

"Besides, whoever is going to attack will assume that **I **defeated the Demon Brothers. They will think of you as a bunch of harmless brats."

Naruto chuckled. "It will be their last mistake... whoa."

They could catch glimpse of massive pillars between the mist.

"This is very impressive, Tazuna-san. The bridge will be truly awe-inspiring once finished." Akimi said.

"Indeed." Shino added, which indicated he was as well surprised.

Tazuna nodded. "This bridge is the hope of Nami. It's the symbol of our dreams."

"Then we'll take extra caution in protecting it and you, Tazuna-san." Kakashi said.

* * *

Later, the five were slowly making their ways towards Tazuna's home, in the same compact formation they had formed after the Demon Brothers' attack. The mist had disappeared as they reached Nami and the day was sunny and warm. The road was near the cost, they could even see the ocean from time to time. The air was filled with the typical iodine smell of salt water.

They were approaching a big curve in the road, when Akimi frowned and Naruto suddenly launched a kunai on the side of the road, surprising even Kakashi.

The jōnin moved some brushes, discovering a white furred bunny. He then looked at Akimi, who was signaling casually. "_Enemy ahead. High level of chakra._"

Kakashi signaled back. "_Let me engage. Protect Tazuna. Use clones. Play fool" _

"Naruto, you baka!" Akimi shouted. "Why did you scare that poor bunny?"

Naruto made a great act to be sorry, hugging the poor animal and apologizing profusely to it. But Kakashi, who knew him well, noted that he used the small display to create some clones around them.

"Get down!" thundered then Kakashi, hearing at hissing sound, but the kids were already on it, Naruto dragging down Tazuna with him.

A colossal sword sliced the hair where their bodies were seconds before, before embedding its self halfway into a nearby tree. Then, in a blur of motion a tall figure appeared on the wide hilt. He was shirtless, showing off impressive muscles (which was a given, seeing he obviously hurled with ease that massive and _heavy _sword). He wore baggy grey pants and elbow warmers and his face was covered by bandages. His Hitai-ate was tied above his forehead, and the Kiri symbol was crossed, indicating that he was a missing nin.

"Momochi Zabuza, demon of the Hidden Mist." Kakashi said. "Looks like I really have to get serious."

"Sharingan no Kakashi, the copy nin." Zabuza replied. "No wonder the Demon Brothers were defeated. I'm here for the old man. Give him up and I will let you and your little brats go unharmed."

"I can't let you do that." Kakashi said softly. "Protect Tazuna and stay out of this." he ordered his genins, at the same time signaling them to intervene if there was an opening. He then proceeded to raise his Hitai-ate, revealing a Sharingan eye.

The three genin leaped near Tazuna, Naruto in front of him, Akimi on the right, Shino on his left.

"Using your ace in the sleeve so soon?" Zabuza mocked. "I'm honored. Let me do the same." and he disappeared in a blur, along with his sword. Kakashi found him immediately, followed by Akimi and Shino who had refined their sensor abilities.

Zabuza stood above the water, left arm lifted above his head, right hand forming an half ram seal. "**Kirigakure no Jutsu!**" A tick veil of mist surrounded them. It was very heavy and made it impossible to see a bloody thing.

"Be alert!" Kakashi thundered. "Zabuza is a master of silent killing. You won't hear him coming."

Then Zabuza unleashed his killing intent and it was harsh and cruel and overwhelmed the kids. No matter how stoic, Shino was still very inexperienced and even Naruto had problems to find his usual confidence under the pressure. Akimi panted a little, seeing flashes of the terrible nights her parents and her grandfather fought their nemesis.

'_Kuroken's KI was worse than this.' _she noted. _'I can defeat this.' _She closed her eyes, as if meditating, trying to find a solution. _'A seal. He won't see me create seals. And he will go for Tazuna.' _

"There are eight points that cause certain death: the larynx, liver, lungs, spine, carotid artery, collarbone, kidneys and heart. Which one should I choose?" Zabuza's voice rang out. It was impossible to discern from where he was speaking.

Shino and Naruto seemed paralyzed.

"A dog who barks is a dog that doesn't bite!" spat Akimi. "So stop your theatrics and do attack us, before I die out of sheer boredom."

Kakashi internally laughed. _'Looks like some of Naruto's personality __has__ rubbed off Akimi, but she wouldn't be so reckless if she hadn't a plan...'_

Zabuza laughed. "The little girl has spirit. I like her. I might even keep her... ehehehe." he said, from behind them. "Pity it's over!"

He appeared behind them, right in the middle of the defensive formation. Right where Akimi had made her immobilizing seal.

"**Fudou no Fūin." **she firmly stated. "Activate."

Zabuza stopped on his tracks, his sword lifted above his head. _"Such powerful chakra. I can keep him imprisoned for only few seconds." _It was enough. Naruto shoved a kunai in his stomach. A cold liquid covered him.

"Mizu Bunshin!" exclaimed Akimi, feeling another attack come. The great cleavage sword was stopped by Kakashi, who appeared in a blur.

"Impressive your genins managed to kill one of my clones. They do have a tenth of my strength."

"They are fine kids." Kakashi said with pride, ducking Zabuza's massive sword as it attempted to cut his head off. "I won't let you touch them."

"I'd like to see you do that." Zabuza jumped back and disappeared in the mist again.

By then, Naruto had regained his bearings. "**Fūton: Daitoppa!" **he overpowered the jutsu.

The massive burst of wind blew out the mist, leaving a flabbergasted Zabuza. As soon as the Kiri nin was visible again, Kakashi leaped towards him.

"Thinking about it, they do not need babysitting." Kakashi exclaimed, trying to stab him with a kunai.

Zabuza dodged and managed to kick the jōnin in the guts, sending him towards the lake. He jumped after him. Kakashi tried to surface. _'What's this? Why does the water feel so heavy, NO__!__' _

"We'll test your theory, Kakashi!" Zabuza laughed maniacally. "**Suiro no Jutsu!" **

A dome of water appeared around the jōnin, imprisoning him. However, Zabuza had to hold him in place with both his hands extended. "Let's see how they fare against ten of my clones."

As he spoke ten clones formed from the water, slowly marching towards the three genins, as if mocking them.

"What's the plan?" asked Naruto.

Akimi was thinking. Using fire would only be counterproductive in such a climate. _'Damn, I need __other__ elemental jutsu.' _A seal? She could not fool Zabuza twice and they lost the cover of mist. Shuriken clones... possibly. And the Kikaichū. They were a good option. Zabuza didn't know to watch out for bugs. She signaled Shino: '_Sneak bugs on him. Steal chakra._' and to Naruto. '_Buy time._'

"Let's show this fucker what we can do." she said instead. "Shino, protect the client. 'to-kun, let's go wild."

"**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" **Naruto shouted, making at least fifty clones appear. "Slow them down, guys!"

Zabuza was impressed, but didn't show it. "You think you are ninja, do you? You think you are so good... I see how you show your Hitai-ate with pride, brats. To be true shinobi, you need to survive battles and kill. Ahahahah by the time I was your age, blood soaked my hands already." he wanted to tell his story to intimidated them, but he simply irked Akimi.

"Shut up, fucker. If I wanted to have a conversation I would go to a bar, not to a battlefield." Akimi shouted back. "And what tells you that my hands aren't strained as well? I've met death a long time ago!" she threw a dozen of shuriken at the real one, making one clone intervene to stop them. The clone's eyes widened when he heard a hissing sound. Boom.

'_She hid explosive tags with genjutsu!' _Zabuza realized, as his clone was destroyed. _'I gotta stop __underestimating__ this genin.'_

Kakashi simply smirked in his prison, seeing a black spot on Zabuza hands.

As soon as the explosion detonated, the Shadows Clones leaped. Zabuza was far more skilled that them and he had a huge sword, but Naruto had numbers and wind manipulation on his side. Eventually, the battle royal between clones finished, revealing three Zabuza standing.

"Impressive." the real one said. "But not impressive enough."

"Think it's time to bring out the big guns." Akimi said. "'to-kun, you ready?"

"I was born ready."

Akimi took a scroll from her boot. "Kai." she said, making a medium sized and foldable Fūma Shuriken appear. "Take this!" and she hurled it with unexpected strength and speed.

"Ahaha, you think a Shuriken is enough to stop my clones? You are deluded!"

"And you bask too much in your superiority! **Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" **

"**Fūton: Reppūshō!**"

Zabuza's eyes widened again, seeing the Fūma Shuriken duplicate... into at least forty and becoming enhanced by Wind chakra. He immediately had the three clones use their swords as shields, rotating them around.

What he didn't expect was to see another horde of Naruto's jumping after the projectiles. "Damn brats!" Some creepy sounds came, followed by one of the Zabuza jumping back and the other two being sliced by Naruto's wind blades.

The water clone started to make hand signs.

"'to-kun, I'll need lots of fuel."

"Bank on it." Naruto crossed his fingers and created one clone. Shino moved behind them, dragging a scared Tazuna with him.

"**Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!" **A very big dragon head made of water raised and

"Oh, shit!" Akimi exclaimed. "**Katon: Hi no Tate!" **

"**Fūton: Daitoppa!" **screamed Naruto and his clone.

"Scatter!" exclaimed Akimi. "It will only slow it down!"

Naruto grabbed Tazuna and jumped on the trees, followed suit by Shino and Akimi.

Luckily, the water clones couldn't use the same amount power of the real one, or things would have been worse, much worse. The shield of fire was indeed obliterated, even though it was powered by two wind jutsu. It did buy enough time for the three genins to escape.

From the threes, Akimi signaled Shino to prepare and launch a final attack to Zabuza. Naruto, in the meantime, passed her two Fūma Shuriken having care not to be seen by their foe.

Zabuza smirked. "You are good, little brats, I'll give you that!"

"Enough." Akimi screamed, jumping down. Naruto followed her. "Let's finish this." she produced another Fūma Shuriken, throwing it at the clone.

"Only one this time? You look exhausted girl!"

"Oh, I think it will be sufficient."

As the water clone stopped the shuriken with ease, he realized there was a second one under it, going towards the original.

'_A Kage Shuriken no Jutsu, clever!' _"You won't fool me!" Zabuza shouted. But then, to his surprise the two Shuriken transformed in two Naruto.

One blonde easily destroyed the clone while the other hurled two kunai at the real one. Zabuza cursed, knowing he needed to get out of the way. He did so, grudgingly jumping back and setting Kakashi free. But it wasn't over.

A black swarm descended on him.

"What the fuck?" he exclaimed, trying to shove the bugs off. _"They are draining my chakra!" _he summoned some waves of water to free himself of Kikaichū, but between them and the fight, he was quite tired.

Kakashi smirked. "You made the mistake of underestimate my genin. Alone they are strong, but together they are lethal! And now you face me... and I shall not fall for the same trick twice."

"We'll see." Zabuza shouted, making hand seals.

Kakashi smirked, copying him without problem thanks to the Sharingan.

"**Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!" **

This time, despite his chakra loss, Zabuza's dragon was much bigger and imposing. But Kakashi had shouted the name of the technique as well. The two twin dragons raised and clashed, hurling water around, just as Zabuza rushed forwards with his sword and Kakashi with a kunai.

The two nins met where the dragons had, even before all the water fell down.

'_Something weird is going on... He executed the technique at the same time __as__ me!' _Zabuza thought, jumping back. Kakashi did the same without hesitation. Zabuza tried to get at Kakashi's back, but the masked jōnin mirrored him step by step. Zabuza raised his left arm, only to be copied again by Kakashi. He tested it again by lowering his hand, and he saw his foe imitating it with perfect timing. _'My movements, it's like he is flawlessly...'_

"Predicting them." Kakashi said, as if completing his thoughts.

'_Did he read my mind?' _Zabuza thought, looking at the twirling Sharingan of Kakashi. _'Damn, he has...' _

"... such an annoying eye, he is fucking pissing me off. Right?" Kakashi smirked.

"All you are doing is copying me —"

"You can't beat me, you monkey bastard." Kakashi finished once again.

Zabuza was easily infuriated by the other nin's soft mockery. His very blood was boiling. _'First his genins, now him!' _"I'll make sure you'll never open that mouth again!" he shouted, going through hand seals.

This time, though, Kakashi used a small hypnotic suggestion to make Zabuza think he saw a phantom projection of himself behind the copy nin. That made him falter, allowing Kakashi to finish before him. "**Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu!" **

A massive wave of water rose, before crushing down towards Zabuza. As the Demon of the Mist was twirled around, he thought _'Why? Why couldn't I keep up?', _then he was hurled violently to the ground. Before he could regain his bearings, kunai embedded themselves in his arms and legs, blocking him.

"How? Can you read the future?"

"Hai." Kakashi said, slowly approaching him "In yours I see death." And he moved a kunai down to slit his throat.

Just then, two senbon flew past him and pierced Zabuza's throat. His head fell down.

"What the hell?" Naruto asked, drawing a kunai as well. Shino and Akimi looked alert, before both looking at a tree on the other side of the lake.

"You are right, he is dead." A voice said from that very direction. A feminine looking figure jumped down. It was hard to understand if he was male or female, but Kakashi thought it was the former. He wore a white mask with the symbol of Kiri on the forehead and a small wave in place of the mouth. He was clad a striped moss-green turtle neck and shin-length pants in the same color, covered by a blue-green short kimono. He had pale white skin and long black hair that was tied up in a white bun save for two strips that framed his face. He looked very young as well.

Kakashi kneeled down and checked Zabuza's pulse. He then fell back in step, getting nearer his team.

"I've hunted Momochi for a very long time." the nin said. "Thank you for slowing him down and giving me a chance to kill him."

"Who are you, shinobi-san?" asked Akimi, approaching them. Her teammates and Tazuna followed suit.

"A hunter-nin from Kiri, am I right?" Kakashi lazily said.

"Correct. Very impressive." he answered.

"How is it possible?" Tazuna asked. "Someone as strong as Zabuza killed by one not older than you."

"Age doesn't mean anything in the shinobi world." lectured Kakashi. "There are shinobi younger than me and stronger than me. Some are probably in front of my very eyes, if they keep growing at this rate." he looked at the hunter nin.

"Thank you for your assistance." the masked hunter nin said. "Farewell." and he disappeared with a small wave of water.

"Mizu Sunshin. How impressive." Akimi said. "You got his chakra signature, Kaera-chan?"

"Meow." the small tiger jumped down from a nearby tree. "Try to find them. Be back in no later than two days."

Kakashi looked at her. "Explain." He felt tired.

"Zabuza wasn't dead. His chakra was still there, if not very weak. The hunter nin was a fake. Besides, he should have burned the body right away. You taught us hunter nin only need to bring back the head as a proof, remember...Oh, here, Kaka-sensei." she gave him a pill. "For your exhaustion."

"Thank you. One of your famous pills, eh?" Kakashi was surprised to feel the exhaustion wash off, but quietly. It wasn't like the rush of energy a soldier pill gave.

"You need to take it easy, anyway." Akimi said. "It only stops you from fainting."

"What do you mean Zabuza isn't dead?" Tazuna asked, worried.

"We'll discuss it later." Kakashi said. "We need to reach your house as soon as possible."

"I'll lead the way."

* * *

Half an hour later they arrived on a house that looked like it was surrounded by a moat. It was on a small island in one of the many bays on the coast.

Akimi knocked at the door. A woman in her mid-twenties perked a little and, seeing Tazuna, rushed out. "Father! Are you all right?"

She was of average height, with long black hair, and looked eaten with worry – and perhaps a little thin as well. After all Tazuna said the people of Nami was slowly starving.

"I am. Thanks to these extremely talented shinobi." Tazuna indicated team 7. "This is my daughter, Tsunami."

"Nice to meet you, Tsunami-san." Kakashi eye smiled. "May I ask if there is a place where we can rest? I think I will need a bed very soon."

Tsunami nodded at once. "Follow me."

A few moments later, as Akimi helped Kakashi settle down in the guest room and fussed over him a little. (She did have some mother hen tendencies, if she got attached). Eventually the jōnin brushed her off and told them to rest as well.

"Tomorrow we train." he said. "The fake hunter nin put Zabuza in a death-like state. Senbon are lethal only if they hit some very critical spots. They require a very high accuracy to be useful as a weapon. I think he pierced a certain point in the neck that made Zabuza look dead, which is why I didn't hear his heartbeat. It makes the body shut down."

"It sounds very risky."

"Indeed, Akimi-chan." Kakashi yawned. "Between that and his chakra exhaustion, plus the wounds I gave him, it will be at least a week before he recovers."

"He will come back" Shino said, curtly.

"That's what I fear." Kakashi said.

Akimi looked pensive. "We should take out Gatō. He is the real threat to this country"

"This is not an assassination mission, Akimi." Kakashi said sternly. "We should not overstep our boundaries."

"We are not. Our mission is to protect the bridge builder. If we cut off the head, the rest of the monster will be powerless. If we don't, Gatō could send other missing nins. He has the money to do so."

Kakashi sighed. "For now, we rest. We'll discuss this further tomorrow." he said. "But, Akimi, you should not talk so lightly of killing someone."

"Yeah, someone who has doomed a whole country for his own greed. He will be such a loss to humanity." Akimi sarcastically said.

"'mi-chan, sensei is right." Naruto intervened. "Gatō may not be... very human, but you can't pass judgment on him."

Akimi's shoulder fell. "I'm sorry, you are right."

"His power is in his money. Without it he is harmless." Shino said.

"So we could steal that instead?" Akimi said. "Could work."

"Nah, men like him would never keep all his money in one place. Even if we found a hideout, he'll have many others." Kakashi said. "For now, we can only focus on protecting the bridge. But first, we rest."

* * *

**January, 31****st**** 214**

The next day, Kakashi found himself feeling quite fine, instead of the exhaustion he would expect. Hence, he decided to leave a clone with his students and go guard Tazuna at the bridge.

Shino worked on mastering the last jutsu his father taught him – the Mushi Bunshin. Having a teammate who can pop solid clones out of nowhere continually kind of made him desire to be able to use one as well. Kakashi would later help him to further improve his taijutsu.

In the meantime the jōnin asked Naruto and Akimi if there was something they would like to learn from him.

"I like using Fūma Shuriken." Akimi said. "But is there a way to further improve control of them?"

"Strings, I would say." Kakashi said. "I'm sure you can figure out something, if not, I'll help you in few days. Anything else?"

"I would like to learn some other elemental jutsu, besides Katon. It's kind of my expertise, but here... it's very difficult to use effectively. We are surrounded by water. I always knew it could become a weakness, but since this was supposed to be a C-rank mission..."

"You didn't worry about it. So you want to learn some Doton jutsu?"

"Yes. A defensive and a supplementary Jutsu... I was thinking of the one you used during the bell test maybe?"

Kakashi nodded. "It will be difficult. But I'm sure you can pull it off. Naruto?"

"Maybe I can learn one Water jutsu. I hear Suiton works well with Fūton, in this environment would be very useful. And Kenjutsu."

"Learning Kenjutsu would require too much time, even with your clones. We can start after the mission. We shall focus in teaching you some other elemental jutsu. Suiton, yes... and Katon as well. With your clones you can use collaboration jutsu by yourself combining these elements."

"I know Katon. I've lived with Akimi-chan for two years, sensei."

Kakashi chuckled. "Of course. I should have guessed that. Very well, both of you, we shall start with something simple. Akimi, did you create any clones?"

"Yep. I set my alarm earlier so they would be charged in time for training. Come out."

Eight Akimi clones joined them.

"Good. Now, this trick will teach you how a Doton jutsu feels. You need to hide ropes under the soil. You should get it down fairly quickly. Then, there is **Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu. **It's the same principles, only it is you who goes underground. It requires the following handseals..."

* * *

Kaera found the chakra of the fake hunter nin the morning after she started the hunt. She enjoyed the rush and adrenaline from the chase. They were in a conical house on a tree.

The tiger was appraising it, trying to decide which was the best way to get in and do some recon, when she felt the three men coming. She immediately felt the malice coming from them, especially the short one in the middle, who had on an elegant black suit. The other two were armed and she thought they looked like those thugs that had chased her and nee-chan all those years ago. They probably were rouge samurai.

They were heading towards the house. Kaera decided she needed to see what this was all about.

Zabuza laid in a bed, the "hunter nin" sat beside him.

"So even you have come back defeated." the short man derisively said. The other two were flanking him, probably bodyguards. They didn't look like much, Kaera though. "And you have the courage to come back. Mah, you Kirikagure shinobi really suck. And you call yourself a demon...! Don't make me laugh."

The two bodyguards made to draw their swords. The fake hunter nin tensed. The short man moved forward, stopping his thugs with a hand. "Wait a second. Why are so quiet, uh? Say something already!" he made to touch Zabuza, but was stopped by the fake hunter nin.

The movement had been very quick, Kaera noted. "Don't touch Zabuza-sama with your filthy hands." was the cold command, as he exerted enough pressure to almost break the small man's wrist.

As the two bodyguards were about to draw their swords, the hunter nin disappeared in another burst of speed. The nin took the thug's swords and brought them to their neck, without them even realizing it.

Very fast. Kaera noted. Her nee-chan and nii-chan would probably need to take off their weights.

"You shouldn't try anything stupid. I'm quite angry right now." the hunter nin said, sternly, tossing the weapons aside.

"One more time! You have one more time. If you fail, you won't be welcome here any longer!" the short man shouted, running away. He was clutching his wrist.

"Haku, you didn't have to." Zabuza said, showing he had a kunai hidden under his bandages.

"I know, Zabuza-sama." Haku said with a sweet smile. He looked like a female, but he smelled male, Kaera noted. "But it still too early to kill, Gatō... we may draw the true hunter nin attention. We must resist."

"You are right." Zabuza sighed.

Kaera closed her eyes, trying to focus on the connection with her nee-chan. She wanted new orders. It didn't work. They were too far. The maximum radius had been only a couple of miles. They needed to work on that. Kaera frowned.

She would wait a little while before heading back.

* * *

That night, as Akimi and Naruto helped Tsunami preparing dinner, the true Kakashi and Tazuna returned from the bridge construction site. Shino was resting in the sitting room, quietly reading a scroll his father had left him.

"How did it go, Tou-san?" Tsunami asked.

"Well. We didn't get any trouble." Tazuna smiled. "I think we may finish up in a couple of weeks."

"I'm glad to hear this." his daughter replied. "I'm so worried about you."

"Grandfather!" a small voice shouted, as a little kid rushed into the room from the upper floor. "You are back!"

"Ah, Inari." the old man smiled, hugging the kid. "You didn't meet the ninja who escorted me back yet. I owe them my life. They are extremely strong, you know."

The child looked at them strangely. It was almost a glare.

"Inari, say hello to them." Tsunami said, putting her hand on her hips in a threatening manner.

"But Kaa-chan, they are going to die!" Inari stated as a matter of a fact. "Nobody can win against Gatō, he is too strong!"

"Nani?!" Naruto shouted. "Listen here, brat, I don't care about your whining, but know this: I am Uzumaki Naruto, future Hokage of Konoha... and if that Gatō gets in my way I will defeat him a thousand times!"

"Baka! You just sound like you want to be a hero... it is so stupid." the kid shouted back. "Heroes don't exist, you are wasting your time!"

"Why, you..."

"Dinner is ready, mina-san." Akimi cut the blonde off, telling him to stop with her gaze. "Help me carrying the dishes, 'to-kun."

Naruto scoffed but did as asked. Inari looked like he was about to go outside, but his mother quickly ordered him to sit down and eat.

'_Strange.' _Akimi thought.

Naruto wanted to tell off the kid, but when he tried to later that night, he discovered him crying in his room, whispering _'Tou-chan.' _Touched, he decided to leave. That and he didn't want Akimi to kick his ass for being insensitive. Akimi had a soft spot for kids...

* * *

**February, 1****st**** 214**

On the second day, Naruto left his clones training and accompanied Tazuna to allow Kakashi to better train Akimi and Shino. He was fine practicing his Suiton jutsu with them.

There, he learned how bad things were.

"May have a word with you, Tazuna?" one of the workers asked.

"Yes, Giichi?"

"I've been thinking about it: I am quitting the construction, I am sorry."

Tazuna looked taken aback. "Why so suddenly? Not you too..."

"I've known you for a long time, my old friend. But if I keep doing this, if I get too involved Gatō will come after me and my family as well..." the man sighed. "You should quit as well, if you die everything will lose meaning."

"I can't do that." Tazuna simply said. "This bridge is our hope." and he walked away. "It's lunch time."

"But..."

"Giichi, you don't have to come anymore." Tazuna fixed his yellow protective helmet.

Naruto really admired the man. He had an impressive courage and will power, with the only downside of enjoying a little too much his sake, but who could really blame him?

"Need a hand, old man?" he asked, shouting.

Tazuna looked at him. "You have to guard me."

"I can create a couple of clones for ya'." Naruto shrugged. "Besides, I really doubt they'll attack us today. If not, sensei would be here instead. Or he would have all of us here."

"Sure thing, then. Go ahead."

"Just tell them what to do." Naruto crossed his fingers. "**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.**"

* * *

Later that day, Akimi joined them. She had run low on chakra, so she had her clones meditate before dispelling. She went there to ask Naruto if he wanted go train with Kakashi, but the blonde shrugged, saying his clones were enough.

Akimi smiled at the clones working with Tazuna and the others, and then played a game of shoji with her teammate.

"You fine, 'mi-chan?"

"I'm afraid, 'to-kun." Akimi sighed. "It has been a long time since I felt such rage... maybe when I discovered about your..." she stopped. "But it was easy to contain it. I love Konoha dearly now and even if I wish to beat some sense into them, I would never... but this **Gatō...!**" she spat the name.

"You are usually so collected... why does he enrage you so much?"

"Fire is passion. I told you it's one of the most dichotomous elements. Fire destroys, fire cleanses. Fire burns, fire comforts and warms. It's easy to fall to anger... I was taught since I was little to fight injustice. Gatō is... he is the embodiment of all I hate."

"I don't want you to lose yourself in your rage, 'mi-chan. What if you then regret it?"

She nodded. "I'll defend this bridge and the hope it stands for. I will not go on a rampage, I promise. Oh, look. Check."

"I hate you." Naruto exclaimed. She blew a raspberry at him.

Tazuna approached them after a while. "For today, we are finished. I need to stop in town to buy supplies."

* * *

As they entered the small town, Naruto and Akimi felt depressed. It was indeed a very poor and miserable sight. The people looked scared and starved. There were children begging on the street and you could literally feel the tension and fear in the air.

They entered a small shop. "Welcome." the owner saluted.

Naruto and Akimi noted there was shortage of food in the place and the prices were very high.

"Tazuna-san, allow me to pay for our rations." the girl said.

"I can't do that, Akimi. You are already helping me despite my lies. It's more than enough."

"Tazuna-san, I'm the last of an old clan. I've way too much money, anyway."

Tazuna just smiled. "Then help the people in town. I can fend for myself."

Akimi nodded. "Yes." she said. She waited until the bridge builder finished tucking all his supplies in his rucksack, and then neared the clerk. "Can you distribute food to people out there, owner-san?"

"I could. But it would be expansive."

Akimi shrugged. "How much?"

"200,000 ryo."

"Here." the girl said, unsealing a scroll. "But do use them for helping the town. If not I'll shove my shurikens up into your rear, owner-san." she smiled sweetly at him.

The man was looking at the amount of money with bulging eyes. "H-H-Hai!"

"Good luck, then." Akimi bowed and exited.

Tazuna was looking at her strangely. "That was..."

"Akimi-chan is a softie." Naruto smiled. "She won't stand for injustice."

As they were nearing the outskirts of the town, Naruto was tugged by a small girl, who looked at him with pleading eyes and holding her hands out.

"Stop, Tazuna-san." Akimi said.

Naruto kneeled in front of the girl. "Right, why don't you go and call your friends?"

She nodded and ran away.

"I've never been happier you are so paranoid, 'mi-chan." the boy said, producing two scrolls. "I'll give them all I have."

"Yeah." Akimi said. "We'll give them mine in a few days."

And under Tazuna's appalled expression, the two genins proceeded to unseal tons of food for the starved children.

"That Gatō better keep out of my bloody way." she said, while they resumed walking. Her eyes were golden from rage, her fist blazing. Naruto was grim as well.

Tazuna looked at them more and more puzzled. _'These two... they will go far.' _

* * *

That night, Tazuna told them the story of Kaiza.

For all her politeness, Akimi was very curious. So she asked them about the photos around the house, which were tore to hide the face of someone. Inari, Tazuna's grandson, had been staring at them during dinner. The small kid wasn't happy to see the ninja and had a pessimistic attitude. He was hopeless.

"He was my husband." Tsunami said.

"The Hero of the Wave. Kaiza" Tazuna solemnly declared, making Inari bolt from his seat.

"Tou-san!" Tsunami berated. "You know not to say his name in front of Inari."

"What's the story behind this?" Kakashi softly asked.

He told them of how Kaiza had arrived in their lives suddenly, saving Inari from some bullies. Kaiza taught the kid courage and the power of dreams. He married Tsunami and became Inari's father. "We had some flooding problems, a few years back, and the gates were opened. We were going to be submerged... but Kaiza took some rope, swam in the rapids and managed to survive, saving all of us. He became our hero. We couldn't have been prouder. He was the only one to really try and stand up to Gatō."

"What happened?" Akimi asked.

"He was put to death in front of everyone." Tazuna gravely said. "Gatō's thugs beat him to death and then tied him to a cross. As Gatō told everyone Kaiza's crime of being a terrorist against the company, he was executed. Inari watched, crying his father's name. Since then, he changed. He lost hope, as has everyone else. He doesn't believe in heroes anymore."

Naruto rose up, making his chair screech.

"Where are you going?" Kakashi asked.

"I need to work some steam off." Naruto said. "And someone needs to see that heroes still exist."

Akimi smiled. "Pity I don't have his stamina." she stopped, her eyes void for a second.

"Akimi-chan?" Kakashi asked.

"Kaera is back. She found them."

"Has she any intel?"

"The hunter nin is a male. Name's Haku. He is very fast and probably strong as well. He seems to be very attached to Zabuza. Gatō's visited them and gave an ultimatum."

"We'll work on your speed then and how to face someone who is quicker." Kakashi said. "Good work. Tell Kaera-chan to rest now."

* * *

**February, 2****nd**** 214**

Naruto was sleeping soundly in a devastated clearing. He had stayed up well into the night, with clones hurling wind and water jutsu around and him working out relentlessly. Eventually he had collapsed and the mental overload knocked him up.

A very pretty figure in a kimono shook him gently. Naruto bolted awake, hurling a kunai in the general direction he sensed another presence at.

As his daze wore off, he saw the girl, or so he thought. _'She is pretty. Not as much as 'mi-chan, but... something is off. She ducked my kunai' _"What are you doing here?" he asked. "And sorry for my reaction."

"I'm sorry as well for waking you up, but I didn't want you to catch a cold." the "girl" replied, with a sweet voice. "You are a shinobi, right?"

"How can you say?" Naruto asked, frowning.

"Your Hitai-ate."

'_Of course.' _"What's your name?" he asked instead. "And are you a girl or a boy?"

"A boy. Name's Haku." he said, giggling.

'_Oh, thank Kami I cleared this up. It could have __led__ to some harsh misunderstanding.' _

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto. And what are you doing here, Haku? Place is dangerous, as I heard."

"I'm collecting medicinal herbs for my friend who is hurt. He is very precious to me."

"I'll help you then." Naruto said.

While they picked up the herbs, Haku asked: "Why were you here, Naruto-san?"

The blonde scratched his head. "I was training. I need to become stronger."

"Why? You look strong already."

"Not enough. I want to show the people of this place that heroes still exist. I want to protect others... and 'mi-chan."

"'mi-chan?"

"She is my best friend. She is... more like family." Naruto said. "I'd hate to see her hurt. But she is strong as well. Maybe stronger than me..."

Haku smiled sadly at him. "When a person has someone precious they want to protect, that's when they become truly strong."

Naruto thought about it. "You are right."

"You'll go far, Naruto-san. Thanks for your help." and the boy got up and left.

"Mah, that was strange." Naruto scratched his head. "Maybe I did go overboard yesterday, I do feel like shit."

"What did I tell you about cursing?" a clear voice asked.

Naruto raised his head, seeing Akimi on a branch, leaning against the trunk.

"'mi-chan? How long have you been there?"

"Mmm... you are way stronger than me, 'to-kun." she said, jumping down. She gave him a pill. "I came here as soon as Kaera felt Haku's chakra signature. He is the fake hunter-nin."

"Really? He didn't look evil." Naruto said, eating the pill.

"Not at all. He has a kind heart." Akimi frowned. "But he is loyal to Zabuza."

"What info do you have about him?" Naruto said, smiling at her. _'Yeah, 'mi-chan is the prettiest ever.'_

"Astonishing speed. Good with senbon. He is likely to have good medicinal knowledge. Water user. Probably around low-jōnin level."

Naruto nodded. "I'll increase the weights."

"You," Akimi said, pointing a finger at him, "are going to rest now. Then, you are watching Tazuna again. And don't do more than one hundred clones for training. Or I'll kick your ass. Come on, let's go." she gave him a hand up.

* * *

**February, 8****th**** 214**

Team 7 had been training for a week. Kakashi taught them the Sunshin that day, warning them not to use it in direct combat. It was a great technique to cover close to mid distances when in haste, though.

They reckoned Zabuza would be likely to make his move soon, since the herbs Haku collected would have boosted his recovery. They were all going to the bridge next day. Akimi said it would be wise to leave some clones to protect Tsunami and Inari. Kakashi nodded.

"Shino, you will protect Tazuna and use your Kikaichū to support Naruto and Akimi. Of course, you lost the element of surprise, but your insects can still be sneaky."

"They can." he said, with a small smirk.

"Akimi, Naruto, you will take Haku. Be careful. Do not hesitate do take off your weights. I'll take Zabuza."

"Be careful as well, sensei. Your Sharingan lost the element of surprise too. I doubt Zabuza will use ninjutsu this time." Akimi said. "I think that..."

"Why do you try so hard?" Inari shouted, interrupting them. "No matter how much you train, how hard you try, you are still no match to Gatō's men! He will kill you. No matter what, the weak will always been killed by the strong."

"I'm glad I'm not weak then." Naruto exclaimed. "I'm not like you!"

"I would hate to be like you! You came here and want to help us, as if I knew what we are going through! You don't know anything about this country, you don't know anything about me! You always act so cheerfully, you don't know a thing about suffering!"

"SHUT UP, BRAT!" Naruto bellowed. "Stop acting like your life is such a tragedy! You still have a home, food and most importantly a mother and a grandfather who love you! I had no one up until I was eleven, I had to fend for myself, with no friends or recognition. I grew up alone, ignored! Don't act like you are the only one who has suffered: there are many people out there who suffered more than me and you put together: Akimi-chan here has lost all her family! She saw them die for kami's sake! But she did not lose hope. That's why we are strong. We keep going. You are a cry baby who only complains and sniffs all day, doing exactly what your father wouldn't want you to do! But at least you did have a father! You are only a WEAK COWARD!" he stopped. "I need some fresh air." And he used Sunshin to disappear with a swirl of leafs.

Inari ran out of the room, crying.

Akimi had closed her eyes, her face strained. Kakashi noticed the flames that had briefly surrounded her clenched fist.

"Was what he said true?" Tsunami asked.

"Every word." Akimi rose. "I need to make sure he doesn't do something stupid."

"You should let him cool off his..."

"Hatake-sensei." the girl hissed. "I hate to sound so conceited, but I am the one who knows Naruto best. Moreover, I really don't think that me killing the grandson of our client would do us any good. Especially since he is a seven year old child. Stupid and annoying, yes... but still." she disappeared with a burst of flames.

"Elemental Sunshin. How classy." Kakashi said.

Shino looked at his sensei. "How many secrets do they have? I never knew Naruto had it so bad."

Kakashi looked sad. "I'm not sure. We can only wait for them to open up to us. But at least they have each other." he got up. "I'll go talk to Inari."

* * *

The jōnin found the child sitting on a small pier which gave way to the ocean, his feet hanging on the edge.

"Can I join you?"

Inari looked blankly at him, before moving a little to make room for Kakashi to sit.

"Naruto didn't want to harm you with his words. He is short tempered and doesn't like people who feel sorry with themselves. He is not one to give up and sulk."

"..."

"Besides, your words offended Akimi. She has a very sorrowful past. And Naruto is very protective of her." Kakashi stopped. "Your grandfather told us about your Tou-san. Like you, Naruto grew up without a father – worse, he doesn't even know what a parent is. He is an orphan, for many years hadn't any friends... and for some twisted reasons the majority of the village hates him. He has had worse than even I can imagine."

"He was telling the truth? He is always so happy..."

"He is very strong, Inari. I've never seen him grow sulky or weak. And now he has Akimi to help him. He hides his pain behind a happy mask, but he never gives up. Every time he fell, every time he failed, he kept trying. He never cries. He never complains. He won't give up on his dreams. Naruto can understand you better than anyone." Kakashi smiled.

"Why did he scream at me, then?"

"I told you, he wanted to protect Akimi. She was probably going to lose control and do something she would then regret. Besides, I think Naruto wants you to change. Because deep down he cares for you." Kakashi rose. "I'll let you think about all of this."

* * *

"**Fūton: Namikadou" **Naruto screamed, hurling a devastating whirlwind around.

"Ah, the jutsu is coming down nicely." Akimi said, appearing on a tree. "But it still needs to be refined."

"I can use it in battle, that's the important thing. What about you? Will you start with B-rank jutsu anytime soon?"

"Not on this mission." Akimi jumped down near him. "Want to try together?"

"You bet."

"**Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" **

"**Fūton: Namikadou!**" Naruto screamed. "Oh, shit." The whole clearing was obliterated, along with several trees. The flames rose up, illuminating the two genins.

"Devastating." Akimi said. "It combines the rotating power of wind with the heating power of fire. Magnificent."

"I feel better." Naruto laughed. "Nothing better than destroying something to cool rage off."

Akimi laughed with him. "Stupid brats and their whining."

"I'm fond of him." Naruto said. "I can sympathize with his sorrow, but I hate his attitude."

"Ditto." Akimi kicked the ground. "We should go to sleep. We need to kick some ass tomorrow."

"You'll be fine? I didn't want to shout about your parents at the world."

"Mah, Kakashi wanted to question me since I screamed at Zabuza about my acquaintance with death. I may tell him some of the story."

Naruto put a hand on her shoulder. "I hate to see you sad."

"You always make it better, 'to-kun." Akimi moved and leaned her head on his shoulder. He hugged her and they stayed like that for a very long time, as if nothing else mattered, as if they didn't have to face a potential deadly fight the next day.

* * *

**JUTSU NOTES**

**Katon: Housenka no jutsu** [Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire Technique]: C rank, offensive, short range, it allows the user to unleash a small volley of fireballs, that can be controlled with chakra.

**Fūton: Kaze Kunai**: [Wind Release: Wind Kunai] D rank, offensive, medium-long range, it creates a small but quick knife made of sharp wind, the attack results almost invisible, making it very difficult to avoid it.

**Kirikagure no Jutsu**: [Hiding in the Mist Technique] C rank, supplementary, it creates a tick mist all around the user and the enemies as a cover.

**Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu** [Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet Technique]: B rank, offensive, medium-long range, it shapes water in a huge dragon, that crash upon the opponent with a great physical force.

**Kage Shuriken no Jutsu** [Shadow Shuriken Technique]: D rank, supplementary-offensive, it allows the user to hide a second Fūma shuriken in the shadow of the first.

**Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu** [Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique] A rank, offensive, medium-long range, it creates a huge wave of water that comes crashing down towards the opponent, much like a waterfall

**Mushi Bunshin no Jutsu**[Insect Clone Technique]: C rank, supplementary, the Aburame clan's member can use their Kikaichū to create a solid replication of themselves.


	10. Chap 9 The Battle of the Bridge

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

_**EDITED: 26**__**th**__** January 2013**_

_**Author's note**__: Thanks to everyone for reading and reviewing. Now, to answer the point you made:_

_**brad**__: I've corrected the word "boys" with "kids" or "duo", you aren't the first to make me noticed but I didn't have the time to edit all the chapters before today. The mistakes comes from a wrong translation I made in my head._

_**Flouri**__: thanks a lot for the compliment. For the team bonding thing, yes you are right sometimes I myself feel like I'm excluding Shino. The problem is when I started to write this story I didn't really know how to write him, now I do, so I've tried to add some scene about them bonding (and later with some of the other rookies as well). You will see some next chapter, seeing as this one is all focused on the big fights._

_Anyway since the story is already very long as it is and I feel that putting too much extra scene would make it too heavy, I think I will start a series of one shot about "my" team 7. I've already got a couple of ideas, such as the mission cleaning the Inuzuka clan kennels. Any of you if you have suggestion/request to make simply write it or PM me._

_**Neo Amon**__: thank you so much! I feel like you have completely got the idea I have of Naruto and Akimi's relationship (and that I tried to write down). You are very perceptive, because I don't think any of them can hide something from each other... and also the other points you made about the Third and Kyūbi are well guessed. I hope the fight with Haku doesn't disappoint you... I didn't change a lot from canon because I needed Naruto to draw from Kyūbi's chakra._

_I'm very glad I got such a positive reaction to my OC, because at the begging I was afraid I would not be able to integrate her well in the Narutoverse or that I would finish to create a Mary Sue or something._

**THE BATTLE OF THE BRIDGE **

**February, 9****th**** 214**

As team 7 and Tazuna approached the bridge, Shino gave each one of them a female Kikaichū. "I will find you through the mist this way."

Akimi bowed, knowing it was an honor to be entrusted with it. Aburame were very protective of the females, for they were fundamental in the life cycle of the hive. Kakashi looked very humbled as well. Naruto just shouted "Thank you, dattebayo!"

Akimi giggled at his antics, but the laughter died in her throat. The bridge appeared in front of them, surrounded by mist.

"This mist..." Kakashi murmured. "He is coming."

"Blood." Shino said. "My Kikaichū smell blood."

"Indeed." Akimi said.

Kakashi sighed. "You know what to do."

As they neared the bridge, the mist got thicker. "Smart." Akimi said. "It's overcharged with chakra... If you tried to blow it off, you would only waste chakra, 'to-kun."

"Keep the cover of the mist." Kakashi said. "I taught you how to sense them."

"Hai, sensei."

They arrived to the bridge, finding all the workers sprawled around, at best severely hurt.

"W-what is this?" Tazuna asked.

"A m-monster." one of the men said. Akimi rushed forward, to check him over, when...

"Here they come!" Kakashi shouted.

"Long time no see, Kakashi! I'm sorry to have kept you waiting." Zabuza's voice taunted. "And you are still carrying your brats around! Delightful."

Ten clones appeared around them, swinging their zanbatos at them. "**Fūton: Kaze no Ame!" **shouted Naruto, jumping in front of Akimi.

As the clones ducked the invisible needles (which was even more difficult because of the mist) Akimi leaped. Her speed had highly improved as did her familiarity with the foldable Fūma Shuriken, which now she carried on her belt and not in a scroll. She could use it as hand to hand blade when closed. She disappeared in a blur of movement, before returning to her position, on the defensive.

The water clones dissolved in puddles.

The outline of two figures appeared in the mist, approaching.

"Looks like a rival has appeared for you, eh, Haku?" Zabuza asked. "She is very fast."

"So it seems." Haku was again wearing his battle clothes. Then, he disappeared too, suddenly attacking Akimi with a rotating kick.

The girl jumped back, dodging. Haku retaliated by throwing a cloud of senbon at her. It didn't work, though, because Naruto defended her, creating a wall of clones in front of her.

"You have an excellent teamwork." Haku complimented. His fingers speeded up through hand seals.

Naruto decided to stop him, to avoid wasting chakra so early. Therefore he clashed with the other boy, a kunai in hand. Haku ducked and grabbed the blonde's wrist.

"Now, I've gained two advantages."

"Really?" Naruto asked. "I'm shaking."

"We are surrounded by water... and you _think _you stopped me from using jutsu!" Haku said, making hand seals with one hand. "**Sensatsu Suishō**"

Naruto tried to yank away from Haku's grip as thousands of sharp looking water needles formed around them before flying with a hiss towards him.

Akimi appeared near him, her hands flashing hand seals. She was as quick as Haku with them. "**Doton: Doryū Engo!" **And she slammed her hands on the ground. From the earth, a dome like shield raised, deflecting the needles.

Naruto chose that moment to release Fūton chakra from his trapped hand, making Haku yelp in pain. "Kai!" he murmured, focusing on his weight seals. (Considering Akimi's speed she already had done so)

Akimi covered him and attacked Haku with her claw-like closed Fūma Shuriken. Haku easily ducked the attack, showing both speed and flexibility. Akimi opened the Shuriken with a fluid move, launching it.

Haku dodged it with ease, but was surprised to see it move towards him again, scratching his shoulder. _'She seems to be able to track me without problems, even with all this mist and what...? Damn, strings! She is using the poor visibility at her advantage!' _Haku had analyzed the two genins combat style when they faced Zabuza, but he seemingly had underestimated them, because they could easily keep up with him in terms of speed. That, or they had greatly improved during the week. _'It would be better to separate them, but I doubt it __can__ be done easily... then, there is only one choice.' _

Akimi caught the Shuriken with her right hand, assuming a defensive crouched stance. Naruto rushed forward and tried to kick Haku, but the boy ducked and jumped back.

"Congratulations. You've forced me to use my secret technique so soon... but I'm sorry to doom you. "Haku said, disappearing in the mist. "**Makyō Hyōshō!**"

* * *

**Back at Tazuna's house**

Tsunami was busy cleaning the kitchen. She was actually glad she had something to do, because she was very worried about her father and the kind Konoha ninja as well. She sighed.

"Inari!" she shouted. "Inari, come help me!"

With a sigh, she made to go and call her son, when...

The door was shred to pieces.

Gasping in panic, Tsunami froze on the spot as two men walked towards her.

One had a blue hat one, grey hair and a grey jacket. The other one, taller, was shirtless and his back was full of strange tattoos. He also had a menacing eye patch on his right eye and a scar on his forehead. Both of them carried very long swords. They were smirking evilly.

"So you are Tazuna's daughter." the first one said. "I'm sorry to say this, but... You are coming with us."

Tsunami dropped the plate she was drying and covered back, falling in a fetal position. The two men snickered in amusement.

A great stumbling of footsteps was heard from upstairs. "Mum!"

The woman immediately recovered enough to shout: "Inari, don't come here... run!"

"What do you want, gaki?" the second thug turned to see the kid on the doorframe. He spoke to his companion. "Should we take him too?"

"We only need one hostage." the grey-haired man replied, with a sick smile.

"Well, then..." the other seemed delighted and started to draw his sword, deliberately slowly. "I'll kill him."

Inari gaped.

"NO!" Tsunami shouted. "If you do that, I'll bite my tongue until I die. And you need a hostage, right?"

The shirtless bandit looked a bit annoyed – and mildly impressed. He sheathed his weapon with a sigh.

"You should thank your mum, brat." the other man spat, in contempt.

Inari fell on his knees, crying. _'I'm so useless...'_

"I am not satisfied."

"Cut it out. You already killed those boars." the grey haired thug commanded. "Let's take the woman and get out of here. We may even have some fun with her before taking her to Gatō."

"I'm so sorry, mom..." Inari murmured, closing his eyes as if in pain.

It was then, as the two rouge samurai dragged a bounded Tsunami out of the house, that Inari suddenly remembered Naruto yelling at him, Kakashi softly talking to him, his grandfather standing up for the whole Wave Country by starting to build the bridge... and his father, telling him to protect what was important with his two, bare hands. "No more..." he determinedly whispered. "No more I will be weak, Tou-san."

Inari run out of the house, shouting: "Stop!"

The thugs turned, as if in disbelief. They snickered. Tsunami, on the other hand, yelped in surprise and fear.

"Get away from my mum!" ordered the kid, charging at them.

The two men, made to unsheathe their weapon. "Stupid gaki, you should have run, now I'll have to..."

"Close your eyes, Inari, Tsunami." a warm voice said. "I need to take out the trash."

Naruto had appeared on the pier, two kunai in hand. He quickly slashed with them, cutting the two men down. The wounds were superficial, only enough to be extremely painful to the two bastards. He untied Tsunami and then he quickly took their swords and broke them in front of their widened eyes.

"You are only a kid!" the first one exclaimed.

"I am a proud shinobi of Konohagakure no Sato." Naruto solemnly said. "Well, technically I am a clone but... that isn't important." he kicked him. "You should be happy 'mi-chan isn't here, she probably would do much worse to you. Something involving fire."

That said, the Naruto-clone hurried and tied the two up, before turning with a big smile to the hugging Tsunami and Inari.

"I'm sorry to have waited so long before intervening." he bowed. "But I wanted to see if Inari had got it inside of him."

"I got what, Naruto?"

"The guts to be a hero, of course. And let me tell you, brat. You do!" the clone laughed. "The boss dispatched other four of us around the house, so you are safe. Don't worry."

Inari crossed his arms. "I don't want to stand there and doing nothing while the real you and grandpa are risking their lives. Can you help me?"

"I'm all ears." The clone smirked. "What did you have in mind?"

* * *

**To the bridge...**

Kakashi eye smiled, watching his two students clash with Haku. He signaled Shino to retreat and protect Tazuna.

"Well then, shall we?" he lazily asked, staring at Zabuza.

"My pleasure." the demon of the Mist replied. "Copy nin. How will you fare without that eye of your?"

Zabuza disappeared and Kakashi immediately dropped into a defensive stance. He closed his eye. _'I need to be careful... he is deadly silent.' _

Few seconds later, since he didn't sense any attack coming, he got worried. "I'm an idiot... Tazuna!" he whispered. As he bolted towards Shino and the client, he grimaced when he saw Zabuza swing his massive zanbato at the impassable genin... who didn't even move.

"Is this the best your brats can do?" Zabuza teased.

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, and then smirked... as Zabuza was suddenly covered by a swarming cloud of Kikaichū, courtesy of Shino's Mushi Bunshin dispelling. The true Shino appeared from the mist, launching several kunai at the nunkenin, before returning near to Tazuna.

Zabuza growled, struggling to shrug off the annoying chakra draining bugs, before leaping to deliver another hissing attack at the genin. Only to be stopped by Kakashi's kunai.

"Your opponent is me." the masked jōnin seriously said. "Don't forget."

"It seems I need to take care of you before I can kill the old geezer. Too bad." Zabuza disappeared again.

Kakashi sighed. "This is getting annoying." he turned to smile at Shino. "Good job." and he absently blocked the zanbato slashing towards his mid-section with a kunai. "This is the best the Demon of the Mist can do?"

The taunt was probably a mistake, because in the next few minutes Zabuza's attacks got quicker, stronger and more frequent. Soon, the silver haired jōnin found himself panting and barely managing to defend himself, let alone think about attacking.

"Is this good enough for ya, Kakashi?" Zabuza's derisively singsonged from the mist.

"Not yet." Kakashi pirouetted to block his foe's sword once again. "But it's getting close."

In that moment the two jōnin felt a strong source of chakra rising from the other side of the bridge. The air suddenly became glacial cold. _'What is this?' _Kakashi thought, a feeling of uneasiness washing over him.

"Ah, it looks like Haku is getting serious." Zabuza stated. "I think your little brats are in trouble."

Kakashi's eye widened as he clearly saw a dome of white-blue mirrors appear from nothingness. _'It's a trap...' _he realized, with a pang of worry. _'Akimi, Naruto!' _

He rushed towards the mirrors without thinking, only to see Zabuza appear in front of him. "Your opponent is me, Kakashi." the man mocked. "Don't forget."

The copy nin sighed, flustered. _'I must make this quick. Akimi and Naruto may need my assistance...'_

He slowly raised his Hitai-ate. "Well, Zabuza... it looks like it is time to get serious."

* * *

Naruto and Akimi braced for the incoming attack. Haku manipulated the water around the bridge, creating giant mirrors all around them. Akimi counted them. Twelve on the ground, eight floating above them, angled down to face the trapped mice – her and Naruto. Finally, a last one was above them, closing them in a dome. Of course, there were spaces between the mirrors, but Akimi doubted Haku would let them out.

"This doesn't look good." Akimi whispered, as Haku _entered _one mirror. Then, suddenly, twenty-one mirror images of him appeared and it could not be said which was the true one.

"Can Kaera track him?" murmured Naruto.

"Not sure. The ice is filled with too much chakra..."

"What we do?"

"Defend for now..." Akimi said. "I'll come up with something."

As she spoke, they heard Haku coming. It was impossible to make out the direction of the attack and his speed was astonishing. **"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"** Naruto shouted, at the last moment, making clones appear all around them. Effective, but costly.

"How many more earth thingies can you do?"

"Four. But they would not do any good. They do not shield from every side."

"They could cover two sides, and then we would be able to defend better..."

"Mmm. Possibly." she flashed hand seals. **"Doton: Doryū Engo!"**

The two genins immediately put their back to the earth wall.

"Clever!" Haku taunted. "But not clever enough!"

This time, his speed was nearly doubled. His attack was frontal, towards Akimi. He assumed her to be the bigger threat. Akimi used her Fūma Shuriken to deflect some senbon, but was knocked back against the wall by Haku's body full impact. "Ouch!" The earth wall shattered.

"'mi-chan!"

"I'm fine." she coughed, getting up. "Just bruised."

"It's ice... Can't we burn it down?"

"It's a kekkai genkai. Wind and Water forms Ice, highly resilient to Katon chakra... it could work, but if it doesn't, then we would only waste chakra. Careful!"

'_How does she __know__ about my ability?' _Haku wondered. _'No matter. I can't waste __any__ more time. I must help Zabuza-sama.' _

Akimi sensed the next incoming attack and nudged her teammate.

"**Fūton: Kaze no Tate!" **Naruto shouted, forming hand seals. The jutsu usually only created a frontal repel wall, but he used Wind manipulation to make it a complete dome around them. It required lots of chakra, though.

Haku, seeing the wind wall, immediately went back into the mirrors, not to get hurt.

'_His reflexes and speed are so great! He changed direction halfway not to get hurt, even though he was going so quickly... this jutsu is really diabolical.' _Akimi was sweating. _'Destroying a mirror is the only solution, but we then need to get out... and he would stop us. Maybe with a clone? Damn.' _

"You are doomed." Haku said, apparently from all mirrors. "You can't escape. I'm sorry I have to this... but here, on this bridge, our dreams are clashing. I will fight to the end for my dreams."

"And so will we, Haku." Naruto said, surprising the masked boy once again.

'_How did they know who I am?' _

"Naruto..." Akimi sighed. "Fuel."

"Worth a shot, eh?" the blonde asked.

"I see no other solution." Akimi flashed through hand seals. "This may be a hazard, 'to-kun, but if it works, one of us has an opening."

"You go, I have more stamina."

Akimi sighed. It was not time to argue. Besides, he was right. "I'll assist you from outside. But I'll need time to recharge after this. Now..." she held the tiger seals, focusing all her will on the jutsu. She thought of what had been lost to reach that point, which would be in vain if she and Naruto died this day. She would not let that happen. And Kaera had finally tracked down Haku. **"Katon: Karyū Endan!"**

"That is not going to work, I'm afraid." Haku sadly said, as the condensed burst of flame shot out of her mouth, shaped like an approximate dragon's head. Haku admitted he was impressed. It was a very powerful jutsu.

"**Fūton: Namikadou!" **Naruto shouted.

Haku's reflections all gaped. The powerful whirlwind fuelled and empowered the already massive dragon's breath, which seemed almost golden at points. Akimi aimed in a very specific direction. She had known where he was, apparently. _'How did she...!' _Haku wondered, managing to escape at the last second.

He was flabbergasted to see the mirror crack under the pressure of the combined jutsu. The fire surpassed that barrier and continued to burn. Eventually, Akimi released the incoming steam. She was panting.

One mirror had broken, creating a hole in the jutsu.

Naruto nodded at Akimi. "Now! **Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" **this time, the blonde create enough clones to fill all the space inside the dome. They all attacked in tandem, Fūton chakra in their hands.

Akimi leaped at the same time of the clones, directed at the hole. Haku cursed. _'No I can't let __her__ escape! From __the__ outside she could...' _he rushed forwards, senbon in hand.

The two collided in the hole, Haku embedding senbon after senbon in her. Akimi was exhausted, he could see it, but she did defend herself. She managed to grab his arms, channeling fire chakra in them.

Haku shouted in pain, before yanking her away and throwing a swarm of senbon at her. He did not miss. Akimi fell on the ground, in front of the hole through which she was trying to escape from.

"'mi-chan!" Naruto howled. His voice was full of despair. The clones covered him, as he ran towards her. He kneeled down and tried to feel her pulse, to no avail.

"Is this the first time you've seen a friend die?" Haku gently asked. "I'm sorry, but this is fate of all shinobi. We all are mere weapons."

To Naruto, those sincere but blunt words sounded void and mocking. "Shut up, SHUT UP, you** bastard**! **I'll make you pay!**" he screamed, feeling an overwhelming rage take him. He had only one thought in mind: kill the fucker who took his best friend away from him. A hissing sound echoed on the bridge, as a malicious, orange chakra engulfed him, rising in a spiraling, high column. His remaining clones popped out of existence. **"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" **

Haku's eyes widened, feeling the sheer hatred coming from the strange chakra. It was the most powerful and horrifying thing he had ever seen. _'What's this...?' _he thought, before seeing a fist coming crashing down onto his face.

* * *

Kakashi and Zabuza clashed again, only this time it was the silver haired jōnin that attacked first. The two exchanged a couple of blows, but it looked almost like Zabuza was playing with his opponent. _'His movements are getting sloppy... he is too worried about his students.' _

"Ahahaha, Kakashi, the brats are finished." he taunted, to further upset him. "Haku could defeat me if he wanted..."

"Kekkai Genkai, ah?" the copy nin asked. "I really need to deal with you quickly."

"So you think that Sharingan is going to help you? I made Haku observe our battle. His analytic prowess is amazing. He can create a counter to any technique he sees once. Not only you can predict my movement, but you can also cast a genjutsu on me, to hypnotize me. But tell me, Kakashi: will you be able to use that eye if you can't see? **Kirikagure no Jutsu.**"

The mist got so thick Kakashi couldn't see past his nose. The jōnin looked around warily. _'It doesn't make sense... with this poor visibility he shouldn't be able to see me either! It's too __thick__!' _He took out a kunai. And suddenly he heard shuriken coming at him, with deadly accuracy.

Kakashi deflected them, without too many problems. Still, it was impressive. _'Damn, he is using sound to track me...'_

"Nice dodging." Zabuza rushed at him from behind, Kakashi barely able to parry his zanbato him with a kunai. He noticed that his foe had his eyes closed, to avoid being caught in an illusion again. The jōnin quickly pondered which strategy use, lowering his headband again not to waste chakra.

Zabuza disappeared into the mist again. "What will you do, Kakashi? Will you help your trapped students or complete your mission?" he taunted.

Kakashi cursed. _'He is trying to get __to__ Tazuna again!' _He trusted Shino, but he didn't want his student to be hurt.

As Zabuza appeared in front of the stoic Aburame, the boy braced himself and sent ahead a swarm of bugs. The mist nin didn't notice this, but his zanbato swung down towards his head... only to be stopped by Kakashi's sudden appearance. Again.

"I already told you. You can't fool me twice, Zabuza." Kakashi shook his head, trying not to yelp in pain because the sword had sliced his right arm. "You really have no originality."

"Really?" Zabuza growled. "Next time you'll see me, it will be your end."

"We shall see."

The two expert nins clashed again and again, with Zabuza managing to scratch Kakashi a couple of times. He mentally grinned._ 'I'm winning!' _It was then that he felt a very powerful wave of heat, that even managed to clear up some of the mist. "What the fuck?" he exclaimed, dodging a burst of flame.

He saw with stupor than one of Haku's mirror had broken.

Kakashi smirked. "That was my students' teamwork. Scary, huh?"

Zabuza laughed. "It will not be enough to defeat, Haku. Besides, even if they did, they would not be able to defeat **me. **And you, Kakashi, are losing."

The masked ninja didn't answer, with a hidden smirk. _'Yeah, keep thinking that...' _His smirk froze and started to fade when he felt _that_ chakra.

"What... what is this?" Zabuza asked, feeling a KI so powerful that made his own appear like child play.

"**I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" **

Kakashi shivered, remembering that terrifying night of twelve years ago. The voice belonged to Naruto, but did not resemble the cheerful blond he had come to know... no, he was twisted by a bloodthirsty monster. _'What happened? Did Akimi... oh, shit. I've got to stop him!'_

"This, Zabuza, is what a true demon feels like." Kakashi darkly said, biting his thumb. "It seems I've got to cut short our play time. Sorry." Then he produced a scroll and smashed it on the ground, making sure to smear blood on it. "**Kuchiyose! Doton: Tsuiga no Jutsu" **

"And how do you plan to find me?" Zabuza laughed sure of his victory, when he felt a sharp pain at his legs. A pack of ninja dogs had appeared from cracks in the earth, holding him down with their fangs and strength. A colossal hound, whose head arrived at his shoulder, was keeping him still from behind. "How...?"

The mist began to clear.

"You seem to be so convinced I only rely on sight. Yet you should know the importance of other senses, right? You are so good you can track an enemy with only your ears, no? I haven't always had this Sharingan, you know, and before that I used... my nose."

Zabuza gaped.

"Whoops, is that my blood on your sword?"

"Shit!"

"You really think I became the elite shinobi I am today only by copying jutsu?" Kakashi mocked, revealing his Sharingan once again. "Feel proud, for I'm going to use my original jutsu on you..." and with that, he summoned visible lighting chakra on his hand, while the sound of a thousand birds echoed on the bridge. "This time you are not getting away, Zabuza. Your future is death."

* * *

Haku felt the full force of the impact, which broke his mirrors and partially cracked his mask. Then another blow came. And another. Naruto hit him in the guts, in the groin, on the arms (breaking them)... Each one was stronger than the one before it and the orange chakra... it burned. It corroded. It was pure pain. All his mirrors crumbled down, before the berserker Naruto punched him again in the face. This time, his mask cracked.

Haku noted that Naruto's spiky hair was even more unruly then before, his eyes were a cruel red and his canines were very pronounced. And were those claws on his hands? Naruto looked at him with nasty rage**. "You... you killed my most precious person, I can't forgive you!" **he thundered.** "Why... why?" **

"I had to protect Zabuza-sama... I owe him everything." Haku sadly smiled. "I understand why you are going to kill me, really. I'm sorry I have hurt your friend."

Naruto sneered, raising his fist again. This time it was going to be a fatal blow, Haku knew it.

"Meow!"

The blonde stopped on his tracks. _'You are not the bloody fox... and even if it could speak to you, influence you, it wouldn't matter. Because it would fail... You have got the purest of souls. You are __a__ hero.' _Naruto heard Akimi's clear voice in his head and stopped.

Haku looked with surprise as the evil chakra disappeared into Naruto, as his eyes returned their intense and amazing blue. Naruto let Haku go and collapsed on the ground. A small animal that looked like a tiger leaped on him, licking his face. "Kaera-chan." he whispered. "Thanks."

"Kill... kill me." Haku said. "Please."

"What? Why?" Naruto asked, flabbergasted.

"I'm a failure. I'm a broken tool..." Haku told his story, which was very similar to Naruto's. He lived in the land of water, with a blood limit, in a time when those with kekkai genkai were chased and persecuted. "...my own father tried to kill me, together with all the people of my village. I killed him instead, but my own mother died that day. I was lost, with no purpose... until Zabuza-sama found me and made me his tool. His weapon. I live to serve him and now I've failed him: nothing matters anymore. I have no purpose now. Kill me."

"You are not a weapon!" Naruto shouted, enraged. "I can't believe you consider precious a person who treats you like an object. You are your own person."

"What's wrong with that? Zabuza-sama needed me. He had high hopes for me." Haku said. "He cared for me in his own way. And he made me his tool. Shinobi are weapons, Naruto-kun."

"That's may be what you think, but I won't stand for it! We are human beings like all others and as long as we live we can get stronger...! Throwing away your life because of one failure is pointless and stupid and...!" Naruto stopped to breathe, trying to find a way to persuade Haku, _'Akimi would know what to say..' _he bitterly thought, when a chirping sound echoed on the bridge._ 'What...?'_

"It seems that in the end, you don't have to kill me." Haku grimaced. "I still can be of use to Zabuza-sama. I hope your friend is all right." and he disappeared again with his incredible speed.

"Haku, what are you doing?"

* * *

Shino knew something was wrong. As if to confirm his worries, a raging column of wicked, orange chakra raised from the dome of mirror which had surrounded his teammates. _'What is that?' _

Just then, he received the message that Akimi had been knocked out.

'_Is that Naruto? Does he think Akimi is dead?' _He cringed, uncertain of what to do. On one hand, he wanted to go and assist them, Kakashi's lessons resounding in his ears: those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash! On the other hand, he had to protect Tazuna. That was his mission.

"Go help your friends." Tazuna said, somehow imagining the boy's doubts. "I'll come with you, so you can keep protecting me."

"Thank you, Tazuna-san." the genin answered, bowing.

Shino used his bugs to orientate in the mist, trying to find Akimi. He soon reached the broken mirrors and saw the lifeless figure of his teammate sprawled on the ground. He unconsciously quickened the pace. He had grown fond of the girl – and of Naruto as well – during the months spent training and doing mission _(chores) _together_._

When he finally reached her, he knelt down. She had no pulse, so the enemy had probably put her in a death like state, because his Kikaichū distinctively felt her chakra presence. With caution, Shino removed the senbon from her neck and body. Then, he took out the small chakra pill she had given him the day before, should he need it. He gently put it in her mouth.

"Come on, Akimi!" he nudged, worried for Naruto and the increasing pressure of the malicious chakra. Then, it all stopped.

"Thank the Kami." Shino said, before feeling a faint but decisive pulse under his thumb. He sighed in relief.

* * *

"You won't escape this time." Kakashi said. **"Raikiri!"**

He quickly rushed at Zabuza, his speed further empowering the piercing power of the lighting in his hand. The Demon of the Mist braced himself, for he knew death was coming.

Kakashi pierced through flesh and blood, but realized with horror that it was not Zabuza he had hit. A dying Haku, had used his last strength to grab Kakashi, shielding Zabuza with his life. He glanced at the summoning scroll, that in that moment was destroyed by several senbon..

"My future is death?" Zabuza chuckled. "Looks like you are wrong again." and he raised his zanbato.

'_Is he going to slice me through Haku's dead body?' _Kakashi wondered, in disbelief. _'Has he no shame?' _he jumped back at the last second, dragging the corpse with him, just as a couple of kunai clashed against the enormous sword.

"You bastard!" Naruto screamed, approaching them. His face was still tear stained.

"Naruto, stay out of the fight!" Kakashi ordered. He had lost his chance at killing Zabuza, but the mist was clearing even more quickly. _'It was Haku who created it... or maybe both of them together, but it was the boy __that__made__ the __difference__. It's over, Demon of the Mist.'_

"Afraid for your little genin?" Zabuza growled. "Don't worry, he is next" And he dived towards Kakashi, swinging Kubikiribōchō at him.

The silver haired jōnin freed himself from Haku, gently putting the body on the ground and closing his eyes, before dropping in a defensive stance. "I'm tired of you, Zabuza. I shall show you what I'm truly capable of..."

"Ahahaha. You are joke!"

Kakashi didn't bother to answer the insult, noticing that the mist had stopped clearing, but it was not very thick anymore. As Zabuza rushed at him, the copy nin had no qualms in kicking him in the face, using his arms as a pivot.

A couple of midair clashes later, Zabuza found himself with two kunai pierced in one arm. Naruto finally comprehended why his sensei was considered one of the top jōnin in Konoha, watching as Zabuza was thrown away again and again, before having his arm other disabled as well. He was forced to drop his zanbato.

"It's over." Kakashi said. "You can't lift your sword and you can't do jutsu."

Zabuza lowly growled, but his retort was stopped by a soft clapping, followed by several footsteps. Gatō appeared, surrounded by what looked like one hundred thugs.

"What is the meaning of this?" Zabuza asked to his "employer."

"A change of plans, Zabuza. It seems I'm going to kill you, now that you have been weakened. Your pay was way too high, if you know what I mean..." Gatō chuckled, his hands crossed above his walking stick. "And you disappoint me: aren't you supposed to be the Demon of the Mist, bah! You are really pathetic... a cute little devil!"

"I'm sorry, Kakashi, it seems our fight is now meaningless. I have no more reason to try and kill Tazuna."

The jōnin nodded.

Gatō saw Haku on the ground. "Oh, he is dead. What a disappointment, I wanted to repay him for almost breaking my arm." Flanked by two thugs, he approached the corpse and kicked it.

"Stop, you bastard! What the hell are you doing?" Naruto screamed, charging forward. He was stopped by Kakashi. He struggled a little, and then gave up. "How dare you? And, you! Why don't you say anything?" he asked Zabuza. "You have been with Haku for so long!"

"He is dead. Why should I care?" the Mist nin said, looking ahead. "I was using him... just like Gatō was using me."

"You really mean that?"

"Shinobi are tools. That's what I believe. I have no regrets."

"You damn..." Naruto growled, tensing his muscles.

Kakashi put a restraining hand on his shoulder. "Naruto, he isn't our enemy anymore."

"Bullshit!" Naruto yanked his sensei's hand off. "I won't stand for this! As long as he speaks like that he'll be my enemy." he growled. "Haku really cared for you. He probably saw you like a father... you were his whole world. He would have done anything for you and he died for you: the least you can do is _care_, you damn bastard!"

Zabuza didn't say anything.

Naruto was in tears from the intensity of what he was feeling. "You really don't think anything of him? Haku was stronger than you because he wanted to protect you. Because he cared. That's where true strength lies... fool."

"Enough, kid!" Zabuza exclaimed. And to their uttermost surprise ha was crying as well. "Don't say any more. Your words are too painful..." and he tore off the bandages around his mouth with only his teeth. "But you are right. Shinobi are humans too."

Gatō smirked. "Very nice speech. I'm touched. By you are tired and weak. It's time to... ouch." A Fūma Shuriken impaled into the business man's throat, before rotating and cutting into his bodyguards.

"About time you shut the hell up." yelled an annoyed voice. "Bloody bastard."

"Akimi-chan?" Naruto asked.

The girl, flanked by Shino, had appeared from the fading mist. Behind them was a rather shocked Tazuna.

Naruto beamed, his eyes shining in joy. "You are not dead!" he exclaimed, rushing to hug her. On the spur of the moment, he kissed her. On the mouth. He didn't really know why he did it.

Akimi reciprocated, but then she detached from him almost immediately. "Uh, 'to-kun, maybe we should worry about those _nice _thugs before going on?" she indicated the horde of men, who looked a _little annoyed._

"You killed our meat ticket!" shouted one of them, agitating his spear. "You'll pay."

"What – a – drag!" Naruto hissed. "And damn Shika for rubbing his bad habits off me."

Akimi smirked, taking back her shuriken.

Zabuza laughed. "One of you brats... lend me a kunai!"

"For sure!" Naruto exclaimed, tossing said weapon at him.

Zabuza caught it in his mouth. "Pity you killed Gatō already, but I suppose it's too late now, eh?" And he disappeared in a burst of speed, starting to cut into the bandits. It was a gruesome spectacle. Many of them were frozen in shock, but some were running towards the Konoha shinobi.

Akimi dropped in the Tiger Style stance, closing her shuriken. Kakashi prepared as well.

"**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" **Naruto shouted, filling the bridge with blondes.

Akimi used Katon chakra to light up her Shuriken. Understanding their plan, Kakashi channeled lighting chakra in his own kunai. The intimidation techniques worked, because many bandits simply turned on their heels and ran.

The others were quickly cut down by the combined efforts of Naruto, Akimi, Kakashi and Zabuza. When the last one fell, an arrow embedded itself in the center of the bridge.

"We will not let you set foot in Nami! We'll defend our home with our life!" Inari shouted, carrying a crossbow, behind him was a crow of armed men. The kid had obviously rallied them.

"I think it's a little too late for this, son." Tazuna said, while he looked at the bloody scene in front of him. "It's over."

"I'm proud of you, Inari." Naruto said. "You did well." The blonde was carrying bridal style a protesting Akimi, who did feel tired, but was able to stand on her own, for kami's sake! Eventually he compromised by simply letting her lean on him.

"Kakashi... brats..." Zabuza walked slowly towards them, his voice a mere whisper. "Put... put me... near Haku." he was crying again.

Kakashi complied.

The dying man looked with a smile at the dead boy. "You... were... like... a... son... and you'll... never... cough... know."

"You will meet again." Kakashi said.

"I won't go... to the same place as... him"

"I think you will." Akimi smiled at him. "It's difficult to leave the path of darkness, but you did it. That's worth something, isn't it?"

"You... two... are... something... else." and with a last glance at Haku, the Demon of the Mist died with a bitter smile.

"It's snowing." Naruto said, looking at the soft white flakes falling from the sky.

"Let this cleanse the land." Akimi said, resting his head on his shoulder. "And wash off the blood. A new beginning."

Kakashi looked at the two. _'It was not their first kill. Still, I worry about them... and what do I tell Naruto about what happened with Kyūbi's chakra?' _He sighed. _'For now, let's rest.' _"Well done, team."

* * *

**JUTSU NOTES**

**Sensatsu Suishō** [Thousand Flying Water Needles of Death]: B rank, offensive, short-mid range: the user creates hundreds of sharp water needles that flew at high speed towards the opponent.

**Doton: Doryū Engo** [Earth Release: Earth Style Protection]: C rank, defensive, short range. This techniques creates a small dome shield in front of the user, protecting him from low rank jutsu and barrages of weapons.

**Makyō Hyōshō** [Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals]: A rank, offensive, short-mid range: the user creates a dome of ice mirrors to entrap the opponent. Then he enters the mirrors and, using the replication images to confuse the opponent, flies from mirror to mirror, launching a valley of projectiles to the entrapped opponent.

**Katon: Karyū Endan** [Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet]: B rank, offensive, short-mid range, the user blows off a massive stream of fire, that takes the shape of a dragon, and can be controlled by the user with chakra.

**Fūton: Namikadou** [Wind Release: Wind Vortex] B rank, offensive, medium-long range. This technique creates a very powerful, rotating wave of wind that clashes down to the opponent at an high speed, obliterating anything on its way.

**Kirikagure no Jutsu**: [Hiding in the Mist Technique] C rank, supplementary, it creates a tick mist all around the user and the enemies as a cover.

**Kuchiyose! Doton: Tsuiga no Jutsu** [Summoning! Earth Release: Tracking Fangs Technique] B rank, offensive, all ranges: it summons a pack ninken to track down an opponent, usually using the user's blood, and seize him.

**Raikiri** [Lighting Cutter] S rank, offensive, short range. The user focuses a great amount of lighting chakra in his hand, then runs towards the opponent – thus increasing the piercing power of the technique. To perform it the Sharingan is required, in order not to miss, since the user had only one clear shot.

**Kubikiribōchō **is Zabuza's sword, a huge zanbato whose name means "Decapitating Knife"


	11. Chap 10 Return to Konoha

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

_**EDITED: 26**__**th**__** January 2013**_

_**Author's note**__: Thanks to everyone for reading! To answer your reviews:_

_1) I don't know yet if I'll split the story or not. The problem is that I've already got 150000 words up until the start of the Sound/Sand invasion, and who knows how long it will become before everything is ready for the training trip to start. Also, thinking of a new title would be troublesome, to quote Shikamaru. I'm also trying to decide how many pre-Shippūden arcs or movie arcs I will implement in the story._

_2) __**Dark-El Dark**__: thanks a lot for the review.. About the Hinata thing, she is simply a year younger than the other rookies. I probably will get here in the story around Shippūden time (or even before, I've got half an idea about that). But if I do, she will be a little OOC, because I don't like the stalkerish aspect of her character. I hope I don't offend you if you are Hinata fan. As for Sakura, I personally like her – at least how she got in Shippūden – and I think she fits well as Tsunade's apprentice later on. Besides, I am not so sure how well would have finished putting an Uchiha and a Hyūga together on the same team._

_3)__**DrakeRider256**__: thank you so much for the review. I'm glad you think I'm doing a good job with the English language, because I know it's very difficult to master it. Probably a part of my style will always be affected by my mother language – Italian – and the two languages are very different, especially in the syntax. I also never attended any advanced English writing course and in high school we only covered a little of grammar here and there. I spent a year in Ireland and read a lot, that's how I learned for the most part. I'm glad you like this new Naruto, even though I tried to keep him easygoing and sometime idiotic to make the story light (I'm trying to echo the anime/mange in this) when he fights he shows that he is mature and serious. A couple of years back I read some chapters of Team 8 by S'TarKan, but I never did catch up with the rest of the story. As soon as I have some free time I'll go read it, cause I remember is a great story. I tried to give Shino some space in this chapter and I hope did a decent job characterizing him._

_4) __**New Amon**__: I'm happy you enjoyed last chapter. I wanted the fight to be challenging for Akimi and Naruto, because it was needed for them to mature. After all, they are still fairly inexperienced, especially Naruto. By the way, you are right again! I hope I'm not becoming too predictable =). Tell me if you like how I dealt with the Kyūbi's issue._

_This chapter is mostly a filler, centered on team relationship and some other relationships in the story, and no fights. I hope it's not too boring, cause it became much more longer that what I expected. By next chapter I should start with the juicy bit, the Chūnin Exam. I also have to say that I have almost everything written up until the start of the invasion, and a good idea of how to cover the search of Tsunade arc. I don't mind updating as long as I have stuff done, because I only need to edit some things, but when it finishes I probably slow down the updates._

_And now off I go with the true chapter:_

**RETURN TO KONOHA**

**Or of secrets not so secret**

**February, 14****th**** 214**

Naruto sat in front of the twin graves of Zabuza and Haku. They were still united, even in death. The massive Kubikiribōchō was embedded in the left mount of earth. He was thinking about the battle... curiously it was not the fact he had killed several thugs that bother him, but the fact that he almost killed Haku.

Kakashi was shifty. It probably was the fact that he used the fox's chakra. Thank the Kami, Naruto avoided him, saying he needed to rest and think. He shrugged off by saying he was dealing with his kills. Akimi, of course, wasn't fooled.

"What are you thinking about?" she asked, sitting down near him.

Naruto hugged his knees.

"I'm sad they are dead. I'm trying to cope with all the deaths I caused..."

"... and you feel guilty because you drew on _its_ chakra." Akimi stopped. "Kaera told me what happened."

Of course she did, Naruto thought. "It was so... overwhelming. I never felt so much rage and fury and..." he choked on his words. "I was so... bloodthirsty. The power was intoxicating. It was screaming at me to kill and tear things apart and... I enjoyed it. I felt Haku's bones break in my grip and his yelps of pain and it... _exited me." _He stopped, disgusted with himself. "I'm a monster. I really am."

"Naruto." Akimi softly said. "You were shocked and angry... yes. But all the rest was the fox, not you. Its chakra influenced your thoughts, made you think things you would not think otherwise. But it was not you, it was the fox trying to break free."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Look at me." she said. He did so. "Such striking eyes you have. They are the very same color as the summer sky in Konoha. And they are a very clear window on your soul. Oh, no, you are not a monster."

"Akimi, you can't be sure." he repeated. "You don't know what I was thinking! The terrible things I thought of doing and..."

"Mah." she tilted her head. "What triggered the thing off?"

"I thought you died!"

"So, it's because you care for me... do you?"

"Of course I do. You are... you are my most precious person."

Akimi smiled, caressing his cheek. "Would a demon care? Would a demon have a precious person? I think not."

"What if it happens again and I hurt you? Or Shino? Or Kakashi-sensei?"

"But you stopped!" Akimi said. "And you didn't kill Haku. Why?"

"He apologized... and then Kaera was there and she called out to me and I suddenly remembered you, your words and your belief in me. I thought that I could not, nor wanted to, disappoint you. You wouldn't have wanted me to go on rampage on your account. To lose myself in vengeance..."

Akimi blinked, feeling her eyes water. "Oh, Naruto." she hugged him, not really able to put in words what she was thinking.

"How can you not hate me?" Naruto asked with a desperate voice "How can you not be afraid of me?"

"You just told me that it was the memory of my words to stop you. I'm pretty confident that were you to lose control again I would be able to stop you. In any case, I'll just have to become stronger so that I don't get almost killed again, right?"

"Akimi..."

"Shut up, baka! I'm not afraid of you. You saved my life without even knowing who I was. You-" she separated from him, poking him in the chest. "are-a-hero. It's in your very essence to be one. I killed Gatō. And I killed more thugs than you. You tried to simply incapacitate them. My hands are more strained that yours. Since I learned of Gatō and his deeds, a very big part of me desired to go out and hunt him, and slay him and his thugs, to feast in his blood..." Naruto's eyes bulged out. "... that is the feral side that comes from my bond with Kaera. She is a tigress, you know, a huntress. But you stopped and restrained me, for the most part. So, tell me now, do you hate me? Are you afraid of me?"

"No. Yes." Naruto noticed her upset face. "You are a little mean, sometimes. But I know you would never really harm me. I... utterly trust you."

"So do I." Akimi smiled. "Do you feel better, now, or still brooding?"

He nodded. "It is better..." he looked at the graves. "But it feels sour. I forgot how bad was to kill someone."

"We should distract ourselves." Akimi jumped on her feet. "Come on, we'll come back to visit them tomorrow."

Naruto tilted his head, rising as well "We could prank Kakashi."

She giggled. "Why not?" she paused. "We could still help Tazuna. Building a bridge sure makes for great conditioning."

They walked in silence for a while, leaving the graves behind and starting on the small path in the forest which lead towards Tazuna's house.

After a while, Naruto gathered enough courage to speak about what was on his mind. "'mi-chan?"

"Yeah?"

"You know, after you killed Gatō..."

"Mmm." Akimi was looking around. "I remember."

"I really don't know what came to me... I mean, I know what... I... just..."

She giggled. "It was certainly a very unconventional first kiss. On a bridge in the middle of mist, blood and battle... but it somehow fitting since we are both shinobi."

"You don't mind?"

"Oh, and a psycho mass murderer was watching us! Together with our perverted jōnin sensei, our teammate and our employer. And let's not forget the dozens of thugs who wanted our skins."

"Akimi, are you teasing me?"

She laughed. "Well, I was just underlining how the choice of scenario was a little... off. That's all."

Naruto knew her very well, but this was one of the moments when she was being mysterious, complicated and just... confusing. Frustrated, he scoffed.

"But then again, it was very spontaneous, as you are..."

Naruto wondered what to do. They lived in the same house, they trained together, and they were on the same team. They were best of friends. What if they screwed it all up by dating? Would it complicate things? _'The hell with that! I'm the most unpredictable ninja of Konoha. And a knucklehead. Nothing good comes __f__rom me thinking too much!'_

So, letting his instincts guide him, he leaped on Akimi, pinning her against a tree, before kissing her again. Only this time no one was watching them and there was no battle going around. This time, he was sure Akimi was reciprocating him.

Naruto was just thirteen years old. So he was only at the start of puberty. But he had to grow up fast, being an orphan and training for being a shinobi and all... so he wasn't really a kid anymore. He wasn't an expert in showing emotion, growing up without affection, but he knew how things were supposed to be (and yes, he was a bit of a pervert. Three words: **Orioke no Jutsu. **He did develop the technique before meeting Akimi) and he was enjoying kissing the girl. Very.

Akimi was petite, but very pretty. She was curvier than one would expect (he knew because they swam together from time to time) and very lean, because of her training. She had deep and magnetic eyes and her hair smelled nice and was soft. Very pleasant to touch. In fact, his right hand was tangled in her hair, while he was holding her waist with the left one.

Akimi had locked her arms around his neck, leaning on her heels to kiss him better. Yeah, she was smaller than him. He was still short, but was catching up in height quickly thanks to the better diet Akimi had imposed on him.

"Do you approve of the surroundings now?" he said, when they parted. They did have to breathe, ninja or not.

"You are improving, 'to-kun." Akimi answered, smiling sweetly.

"So..."

"So..." Akimi repeated. "Does this really change anything, 'to-kun?"

Naruto frowned. "You mean besides the fact that now we found a new way to pass time together?"

She giggled. "Pervert."

He shrugged. "I did have bad examples. Our sensei reads porn in public. Oji-san isn't any better, only a little more subtle."

Akimi tilted her head. "As long as you don't go overboard."

"You know, you are right: it doesn't really change something. We are still... us. It's like this is a natural evolution or something, dattebayo."

"Indeed." Akimi sighed. "It's nice though."

"Very." and he kissed her again.

* * *

Kakashi lifted his eyes from his book, hearing his students returning. Shino was in the wood to collect insects and he looked pensive. He had been shocked by the bloody battle of the day before, even though he still kept his stoic facade.

Naruto and Akimi, on the other hand... Kami, he really did not get those two at times! He needed to talk with them. So, he prepared himself to speak with them. As they entered the house, he noticed something strange.

One, they were holding hands. Two, they did look a little... messy. Were their lips swollen? And Akimi's hair was not so ruffled even after the battle yesterday. His perverted side smirked inwardly, immediately sensing something was going on.

And we all know Kakashi's perverted side was very big. No kidding.

"Say a word..." Akimi said, pointing at him. "... and I'll burn your book to ashes."

Kakashi gulped, the sarcastic comment he was about to utter dying on his throat. He reflexively hid his book. In doing so, his teacher's instincts kicked in. So he noticed that they both looked serene. Whatever they did – welcome back, perverted side – it did them good. Still...

"You killed yesterday." Kakashi deadpanned.

"We did." Naruto said.

The jōnin sighed. "It was not the first time."

"It wasn't." Akimi confirmed.

Kakashi turned a page on his book. "Care to talk about it?"

The two kids sat in front of him. The jōnin noted, once again, that they were sitting closer than usual. _'Mmm... they are definitely dating, I daresay. Will this create problems? Nah, they were already close after all...' _

"Where is Tsunami-san?" asked Akimi.

"Shopping with Inari."

"Right." Akimi bowed her head. "I'm not sure how we should go about this... but..." she closed her eyes. "Sandaime-sama told you I was trained in the shinobi arts by my grandfather?"

"He mentioned it, yes."

"I travelled all Hi no Kuni with him and part of Kawa no Kuni. I killed for the first time in a village on the border. Later, gramps tried to shield me from death, but I had to do it again when I escaped from our home, while I was making my way to Konoha. I'm not sure how many of them I killed... between the traps and everything."

"How old were you?" Kakashi softly asked.

"Nine."

"Ah." the masked jōnin felt a pang of sorrow for her and her lost innocence. "How do you feel now? It had been years..."

"It's like my hands are strained..." she raised them. "I dream of those I killed, sometimes. Sometimes I feel guilty, but I know that is the life I've chosen. Seeing the people of Wave rejoice is a great... relief. And I distract myself too... reading. Mostly like you do."

Kakashi chuckled. "Better to be perverted than be eaten by guilt." he solemnly said.

"Such wisdom, Kaka-sensei!" Akimi laughed.

The jōnin eye-smiled. "What about you, Naruto?"

"I killed once before. The day Akimi-chan arrived in Konoha."

"He saved me."

"So you were eleven." Kakashi said. "How do you feel now?"

"Guilty. Afraid." Naruto shrugged. "I haven't slept much."

"What are you afraid of?" the jōnin asked.

"As much as the guilt pains me, it's good. I'm afraid of losing it, to become a heartless killing machine... a... _weapon." _he almost said monster, but didn't fancy receiving a kick on the shin from Akimi.

Kakashi put down the book, stood up and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You will not." he firmly stated. "I know you won't."

Akimi nodded with him.

"Many believe that shinobi are living weapons, mere assassins, it's true, if you haven't the strength to fight this fate." Kakashi said. "Our profession is harsh and cruel, but it only is a mean to something. If your goals and intentions are good, and you don't stray from them, if you keep true to your belief and humanity, you shall not become a heartless killing machine. Never."

Naruto nodded. "I will always remember Haku, for he taught me about the dark side of being a shinobi and inspired me to change it. I'll never be a weapon. I'll find my own nindo. And when I'm Hokage, I will change things."

Kakashi smiled at them. "Right. The touchy feely moment has ended. Go enjoy yourself." he said. "**Don't train!**"

Naruto shrugged. "Sure no prob."

Kakashi's eyes popped out of their socked then his mouth bent in a perverted grin.

"Sensei, before we go..." Akimi started.

"Yes, Akimi-chan?"

"Do you think is safe to leave Kubikiribōchō out there, unguarded?" Akimi asked. "I understand we are honoring Haku and Zabuza's memory by not collecting the bounty. And the Yondaime Mizukage is a damn bastard in any case, but that sword is... dangerous."

Kakashi stayed silent.

"I mean, soon the tale of these happenings will spread. All Nami knows of us already. Kubikiribōchō could fall into even worse hands than Zabuza's... and become the instrument of death and destruction and..."

"Do not spread around the fact that you took it. Keep it in your Vault, hidden." Kakashi said. "We never had this discussion. Good thinking. Now go!"

"Come on, 'to-kun, looks like we need to visit Haku and Zabuza again."

* * *

Eventually, Naruto and Akimi found themselves sitting on the peer outside Tazuna's house. Naruto was still in a pensive/silent mood, staring blankly at the ocean, while Akimi was quietly reading, leaning over him to make him remember she was there.

Suddenly she closed her book. "Shino" she said, turning her head. "Come join us."

"Naruto, Akimi." their teammate curtly said. "I've been looking for you."

"We went over to... _their _graves." Naruto said. "Then we spoke we Kakashi-sensei."

Shino sat down. "The ocean is beautiful."

"It's very different from Konoha's landscape." Akimi observed. "Found any interesting new specimens out there?"

"Some. I'm looking forward to searching more thoroughly in the next few days."

"We can cover bridge duty for you, dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed. "That's what Kage Bunshin is for!"

"I also hear the people of Nami want to celebrate Gatō's demise." Akimi evenly said. "Could be interesting, what do you say?"

"I prefer to avoid crowds" Shino replied. "But it could be."

There was some silence.

"I wanted to talk about yesterday... and also the day before." Shino said after a while. "I mean, I know you are very reserved and I myself am not the most vocal of guys..."

The other two snickered.

"... but we are teammates, right?"

"I daresay we are friends, Shino." Akimi answered. "Wouldn't you say?"

The Aburame smiled. "I'd say."

Akimi looked back at ocean. "My clan was once big and full of life. We lived together in a bright valley, in an area that was probably as big as one of Konoha's districts. I was born too late to see it." she started, in a quiet voice. "By the time I was born, only my parents and my grandfather were still alive. The man who slaughtered them was once my grandfather's best friend... but not even I know the details of that story. I don't really remember my life back then, only flashes and glimpses..."

She sighed. "It didn't last long. When I was five, the same man, who they believed to be dead, returned and killed my parents. Once again, I only remember few things... the smell of burned flesh, screams, darkness and golden flames... nothing more."

Shino didn't really know what to say, but saw that Naruto was rubbing Akimi's shoulders gently. He supposed that was enough of a comfort for the girl, because she soon enough resumed her tale.

"My grandfather survived, but we left our home the very next day, starting a life of wanderings. That was also the day I started training. You remember I arrived in Konoha at the start of your third year of Academy." she slowly said. "By then, I probably could have joined a genin team already, but I didn't want to. I needed to..." she stopped. "... to rest. I wanted some kind of normal childhood."

Shino remained silent.

"My grandfather had just died in front of my eyes. I don't even know if his killer is still around or not. This is one of the main reasons I don't talk about my past. I'm afraid... to be discovered."

"Why Konoha?"

"Gramps befriended Sandaime-sama when they were both young." Akimi answered. "I knew I could trust him."

"I met Akimi-chan the day she arrived." Naruto spoke up. "I also made my first kill then. As such, I remember it as both one of best and worst day of my life."

"I killed the first time when I was nine. It was in a small village in the Land of Rivers." she murmured. "I still have nightmares about it."

Nobody spoke for a while.

"I think I killed one of those thugs yesterday." Shino murmured at last. "He had managed to sneak past you, Kakashi-sensei and Zabuza-san and I ordered my Kikaichū to stop him. Then he lied there and..."

"We know." Naruto kindly said. "Why didn't you say anything before? Kakashi-sensei would want to know."

Shino nodded. "I'll tell him tonight." he murmured. "I was just trying to deal with it alone."

Akimi smiled sadly. "How do you feel?"

"I don't know." Shino shrugged. "Logically, I knew this would happen. Why do you ask? When I chose this path it became obvious one day I would become a killer... and I would risk to be killed. Sure, I didn't really realize it would be so soon."

"Well, it was supposed to be a quiet C-rank mission, after all." Naruto said.

"I know that from the outside our clan doesn't seem a really... emotional one. We are all cold, mysterious and silent. Well, it's mainly because we have to deal with the constant input of info from our Kikaichū and also because... well, most people don't really fancy the idea of talking with a living hive. I guess that after a while it just became normal to be that way."

"You can talk with us." Naruto quickly said. "And be as emotional as you want, dattebayo."

Shino nodded, giving out a rare wide smirk. "I know. We aren't hugging any time soon, though."

The other two burst into laughter.

"Shino," Akimi started, putting a hesitant hand on his arm, hoping not to overstep her boundaries. "I know that sometimes Naruto's and my bond is a little... overwhelming. We are very close and sometimes we don't even realize we are excluding other people. Don't be afraid to speak up. You **are **our friend."

"And we trust you with our lives." Naruto continued.

"What's wrong with you, Naruto?" Shino asked then, bluntly.

"I hate killing. I mean, I'm sure you two do too. Only madmen like killing but..." the blonde turned towards the other two kids with desperate eyes. "I wish I didn't have to kill ever again. I wish I could resolve problems in other ways... like changing the _enemy_'s ways."

"You do have a special gift." Shino simply said. "You do change people. Why do you ask? Did you see what you did to Inari and Zabuza? You even got me talking!"

Akimi giggled.

"Thanks, Shino. I guess I'll just have to try and change even more people. I'll use killing as a last resort, dattebayo!"

"Naruto, about what you said to Inari..."

"I had a very lonely childhood, Shino." Naruto sighed. "There is a... reason why adults don't like me. It's not because of my pranking past."

Shino raised an eyebrow. "Past?"

"Ehi, I got a lot better! I'm trying to slowly stop."

Shino and Akimi exchanged a skeptical look.

"Whatever you say, 'to-kun." Akimi patted his shoulder, patronizing.

Naruto scoffed. "Anyway, I've been ignored and alone for a long time. I try not to think about it, it's all in the past now. Inari irked me up, that's it. Shino... I'll tell you. Also about _that _chakra yesterday, I'll tell you... Just not now."

"I know you will."

"Ohi, Shino." Naruto shouted. "We actually don't know much about your own childhood either. What did you do as a kid?"

"Well, I had to learn how to cope with the constant stream of information my Kikaichū sent me. I spent a lot of time outside with my Tou-san or other clan's member. And I attended the Academy."

"That sounds kind of lonely as well." Akimi observed.

"Well, there aren't any children my age in the clan and I rarely left the compound."

Akimi nudged him. "Why, one could almost say you are a shy person, Shino. Is this why you hide constantly behind that collar of yours?"

Shino only raised an eyebrow. "Interesting theory." he said. "Well, not everyone can be as blunt as you two."

"Whatever do you mean, Shino?" Naruto asked.

"You know I'm referring to what happened yesterday after Gatō's death... when two so eagerly _saluted _each other. " Shino smirked. "I am _so _curious to hear about that."

Akimi and Naruto had the grace to look embarrassed – and even blushed a little.

The girl looked down. "Ah, that..."

Naruto chuckled instead. "I think we unleashed a monster!"

* * *

**February, 21****st**** 214**

In the end, Naruto and Akimi created two elaborate headstones for Haku and Zabuza, by mixing seals and nature transformation. Naruto carved the stone with his wind, Akimi burned them to preserve them. They finished the job by impressing protection seals all around.

On Haku's was engraved the words: _"When a person has someone precious to protect, that's when they become truly strong." _On Zabuza's, Naruto reproduced a drawing of his zanbato.

Now, a week after the Battle of the Bridge, the massive and imposing construction had finally been finished, also thanks to the contribution of Naruto's clones. The three genins had slowly returned to normal, albeit the whole episode had deeply affected and changed them. All things considered, it was part of their growth as shinobi and as people.

Kakashi had let them be most of them time, giving them the chance to relax, if not openly ordering it. He didn't speak a word about Kyūbi's chakra and Akimi wagered he would wait to speak with the Hokage about it. And now, Team 7 was finally ready to depart.

A great crowd of people from the town and all of Nami had come to see them leave. Tazuna and his family were at the front line.

"Thanks to you we have completed the bridge." Tazuna said, bowing. "We'll never forget you... but we are going to miss you."

Kakashi eye smiled. "Thanks for everything."

Inari was looking like he was about to cry. He had spent a lot of time with Akimi and Naruto and even with the silent Shino. Naruto had even taught him how to fight a little. He was very sad to see them going.

"We'll come to visit." Naruto said. "Don't worry."

"You better." the small boy said, sniffling.

"It's ok to cry when you are happy, Inari." Naruto said, ruffling his hair.

"I'm not going to, but you can, if you want to, nii-san."

"Why should I? We'll see each other again." he hugged the boy. "Take care of your mother and grandfather."

"I will!" Inari wiped a lone tear from his eyes. "Just don't get yourself killed, nii-san, nee-san."

Akimi hugged him as well. "Now, don't worry, I'll stop him from doing stupid things."

"Time to go, team." Kakashi said. "We have a long way in front of us."

"Are we going at ninja speed this time?" Naruto asked, exited.

"Yeah, I'm going to use this as stamina training for you. Just don't whine later." Kakashi smirked and leaped away, soon followed by the three genins.

"What are you going to call the bridge, Tou-san?" asked Tsunami.

Tazuna smiled fondly. "How about "the Great Naruto Bridge?" he asked. "For the boy who showed Nami that as long as you don't give up, there is always hope."

Inari threw his fist in the air. "I like it!"

* * *

**February, 23****rd**** 214 – Konoha's Gates**

Kakashi landed with grace a few meters from the entrance of Konohagakure no Sato. He turned in time to see his three students do the same. Akimi didn't make a sound, arriving on the ground on a semi crouched position, which was probably fruit of her deep bond with Kaera. Shino was equally silent, his stance rigid and upright as usual. Naruto was a little more exuberant, because he didn't really do stealth unless he needed it (but damn he could do it well!).

The three were a little peeved by the pace he set, but were holding their own. Wait a second, was Naruto jumping? _'Stamina freak!' _"What's the matter, Naruto?"

"I'm just happy to be home again."

"I see." Kakashi eye smiled. "Let's go then."

When they reached the gates, the eternal guards were there, bored out of their mind.

"Team 7 reporting back from a _**C **_ranked mission in Nami no Kuni." Kakashi said.

"Show your passes, please." Kotetsu said, yawing.

"Here."

"You may enter. Good day." Izumo dismissed them.

"Nah, that job must be a true torture." Naruto said.

"Yeah, I bet it will be the ideal 'detention' for you, once you make chūnin." Kakashi smirked. "Now, I'll report to the Hokage right away and I'll ask for a week off, we will be meeting at the usual place, usual time." and he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"I must go meet my family." Shino said. "We may see each other around."

"Don't spend all your time collecting insects, Shino!" Naruto exclaimed. "You know where to find us in case."

"See you." Shino simply said, leaving as well.

"What now?" Akimi asked, with a smile.

"Ichiraku!" Naruto bellowed, rushing ahead. "Last to arrive offers."

"Baka..." Akimi said, forming the Ram seal. "**Sunshin no Jutsu." **

* * *

The Hokage put yet another signed paper on an already thick stack of documents. The unfinished paperwork, still, was bigger. It really never seemed to get thinner.

It was no matter actually, because the true Hokage was lying on the couch, reading his beloved orange book. The one working was a Kage Bunshin. _'I have to offer Naruto ramen for that tip...' _

"Hokage-sama."

The true Hokage leaped on his feet, hiding the book behind his back. "What... Kakashi! It is just you... Why don't you ever use the door?"

The jōnin just shrugged, entering the office. He glanced at the Bunshin at the table. "Clever." he said. "I'm reporting from the mission in Nami."

"Ah, yeah... how did it go?" the Hokage smiled. "Was Naruto excited to be out of the village?"

"He was. It went smoothly..." Kakashi stopped. "... for like the first six hours. We were soon attacked by Meizu and Gōzu, the Demon Brothers of Kirigakure."

"What?" Sarutobi stepped forward, immediately serious.

"Oh, yeah... here they are." Kakashi launched him two scrolls. "It's handy to have a budding seal mistress on the team. I suppose we could discover a lot about Kiri's poisons."

The Hokage was flabbergasted. "Two chūnins level enemies... on a C-rank missions. Why?"

"Ah, Tazuna-san lied about the parameters of the missions. He had Gatō after him."

"The shipping magnate?"

"Hai. Apparently, Gatō seized control of Nami last year. The bridge was their only chance of escaping his grasp."

"Kakashi!" exclaimed the Sandaime. "Why didn't you turn back? You were at risk of meeting a jōnin as well..."

"We did." Kakashi deadpanned. "The fact is, Hokage-sama, that I didn't defeat the Demon Brothers. Akimi and Naruto did, with support from Shino. Besides, I doubt I could have stopped them from continuing. Not without force anyway."

Hiruzen pictured the determined look of Naruto's face and the burning eyes of Akimi. Yeah, he did understand. "Who did you meet?"

"Momochi Zabuza..."

"WHAT?" The Hokage dropped into his seat, feeling a little faint. "The Demon of the Mist?"

"... and his young apprentice." Kakashi proceeded to tell the Sandaime the details of the three battles, underlining his genins prowess. "...so she told she used **Karyū Endan **even though she had never actually managed the jutsu before. The pressure made her successful. Apparently, Naruto developed the B rank Fūton jutsu he used, **Namikadou.**"

"What happened then?"

"They broke one mirror, and almost hit Zabuza as well: that was how powerful the combined jutsu was. They are truly on the way of mastering their elements – fully."

"Which is why you started them on Doton and Suiton. I'm impressed... and I have a couple of Earth Jutsu you could teach Akimi. She'll like them."

Kakashi nodded. "Here things get a bit... worrisome. Akimi tried to escape the dome, but was stopped by Haku. She had obviously exhausted herself. Haku put her in a death like state, thus shocking Naruto."

Hiruzen sat down on the couch again, putting his head on his hands. "He drew on Kyūbi's chakra, did he not?"

"Yes, but he somehow stopped." Kakashi said. "It also resulted in him and Akimi getting together."

"You mean...?" Sandaime smirked, his perverted side jumping around in his mind.

Kakashi briefly told him how he defeated Zabuza, accidently killed Haku and of the arrival of Gatō. "So he was insulting us, when a Fūma Shuriken took him and his bodyguards down, revealing that Akimi was alive." Kakashi said. "Naruto looked beyond relieved. He ran to her, hugged her and kissed her..."

Sandaime became even more interested.

"Of course, we were still surrounded by thugs, so they stopped. Then we killed them while Shino guarded Tazuna – Zabuza helped us before dying. Naruto was a little depressed afterwards, until Akimi _talked _to him."

The Hokage giggled. "Lucky kid. Just like his father."

"After the battle, we helped Tazuna complete the bridge then came back at full speed. I gave them the week off. I want to up their training, maybe doing a D rank mission now and then, and then maybe start with C rank missions. True C rank missions."

"This is acceptable. Of course, this mission will result as an A rank in the records. Zabuza Momochi... damn." the Hokage shivered, thinking of the _paperwork _this was going to cause. "Something is worrying you."

"Two things, really. The first is obviously the Kyūbi."

Sarutobi nodded. "Did he ask anything about what happened on the bridge?"

"No." Kakashi replied. "I reckoned he either really didn't realize something strange had occurred, or that he talked with Akimi about it. Maybe both."

Hiruzen sighed, inhaling a puff of smoke from his pipe. "I'll talk to Naruto about the fox. You may be present. Actually... Bear!"

"Hokage-sama!" an ANBU appeared from the shadows.

"Fetch Uzumaki Naruto. And Katora Akimi too."

"Is this wise, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi said. "To tell Akimi as well..."

"Naruto is free to tell the truth about his burden to anyone. Do you really think he would hide it from Akimi? She is his pillar. And she is actually going to help him understand. She is so good with Fūinjutsu."

Kakashi frowned. "That's exactly what my second concern is about: Naruto and Akimi's closeness. What if they fight? What if their feelings interfere with the mission?"

"They are both very mature for their age..." Hiruzen crossed his hands below his chin. "You need to trust that they will put the mission before their feelings, if they fight. On the other hand, they are extremely protective of each other, but you are the one of taught them the value of teamwork and of a comrade's life above the mission. This is Konoha's way. Besides, it's probably too late to separate them. The best you can do is have faith in them."

"You are right." Kakashi eye smiled. "I really hope we'll never get to discover what Naruto would do if someone really hurts Akimi..." and he shivered.

* * *

"Kami, it's not like you starved on the mission..." Akimi said, watching Naruto swallowing the tenth bowl of ramen. She had eaten two as well, in a normal way.

"Almost a month!" Naruto exclaimed, eating another mouthful of food. "A month without Ichiraku's ramen... I don't know how you resisted."

Akimi sighed and turned away, to avoid any risk of puking. "Manners, Naruto-kun, you should learn manners."

Ayame giggled. "A lost cause, Akimi." she said.

In that moment there was a rush of wind behind them and a masked man appeared.

"How can we help you, ANBU-san?" Akimi asked without turning.

"Hokage-sama wants to see you, Uzumaki Naruto, Katora Akimi." the ninja said, before disappearing again.

"That wasn't an invitation." Naruto noted. "But an order... so it's time."

"Indeed. Pay, 'to-kun. We'll prepare our best poker face on the way to the tower."

"Do you have a camera somewhere?" Naruto asked, taking out some ryo notes. "Their faces will be priceless."

* * *

"Good afternoon, Hokage-sama." Akimi bowed at the entrance.

The Sandaime (the true one) was sat behind his desk, Kakashi behind him, without his book, thus showing the seriousness of the situation.

"Ehi, jiji!" Naruto greeted, happily. "How are you doing?"

Hiruzen smiled at the blonde, before lowering his hand with decision. Four figures left the office. "Come, sit." he said, before flashing hand seals.

'_Mmm... privacy barrier. He is definitely telling us of the bastard fox. Damn, how quick is jiji with __hand seals__? He is so cool!'_

"First thing, let me congratulate on your performance on the mission. Kakashi highly complimented your skill. As for now, anyway, any information about it is classified, A-rank level. Meaning only jōnins and above will know. Don't go around and brag, Naruto."

"Me?" Naruto pointed innocently at himself. "It's not like I killed Zabuza... and sensei is too busy reading porn to go around and brag to _anyone_."

Kakashi looked slightly offended, but knew his genin respected him, most of the time at least.

"It's not like we aren't able to keep secrets." Akimi deadpanned. "Wouldn't you say?"

Both Hiruzen and Kakashi were a little freaked out by her sweet smile.

'_Thank the Kami she is only __an__ overpowered genin right now... and I'm a Kage.' _"I know you can. Which is why I'm not going to further stress the importance of this classification."

"I don't mean to question your motives, but why are you classifying this?" Akimi asked, even if she has some idea... the Hokage probably didn't want to spread the news that Naruto had tapped into the fox's chakra.

"As of right now, you two are the most promising genins in the village." Sarutobi said, puffing his pipe. "I intend to keep your true abilities hidden until you have a little more experience as well, lest you become targets..."

Akimi nodded. "Did you just want to tell us this? Because I don't see Shino here. Granted, he is not really talkative but..."

Hiruzen shook his head. "No, there is something else." he turned his gaze to Naruto, appraising him. The blonde smiled, a slight puzzled expression on his face.

"Shoot it, old man!" he exclaimed.

Sarutobi sighed. "I want to make it clear: what I'm about to reveal to you doesn't change a thing. You are still one of my proud shinobi, Kakashi's precious student and Akimi's... I'm not sure what."

Naruto chuckled, while Akimi glared at Kakashi. The jōnin unconsciously touched his pouch to make sure his Icha-Icha book was safe. It was, and he sighed in relief.

"I'm sure you both know the story of how the Yondaime killed the Kyūbi no Kitsune..." the old leader started unsure on how to break the truth to Naruto. "... it was a lie. The truth has been classified, by my order and law, as an S rank secret. Meaning only I, and my student Jiraiya, can freely talk about it without penalty of death." Hiruzen took a deep breath. "The truth is..."

"... the Yondaime couldn't kill the bastard fox, because it is an entity of chakra, hence he resorted to the most powerful of the arts, Fūinjutsu, and sealed it inside a baby, because only a newborn could withstand the massive influx of chakra without damaging his chakra coils. He chose me, as I conveniently was born that day." Naruto said, yawing boringly. "Did you force me away from ramen only to tell me this?"

The Sandaime looked at him with bulging eyes. Kakashi was gaping so much it could be discerned through his mask. Akimi smirked and produced a camera and took a picture of them. The flash did seem to wake the two men from their stupor.

"How... how do you know?" Hiruzen asked, leaping on his feet. "Did it...?"

Naruto smiled. "I live with the future best sealing mistress of the world. Did you really think we wouldn't notice?"

Akimi swatted him. "You'll make me blush!"

Naruto chuckled.

"This is not the time to flirt!" Sandaime bellowed. The two genins looked almost scared. The man was the Shinobi no Kami, after all, even though he mostly behaved like an old gentle grandfather. "You...!" he pointed to Akimi. "... you broke down the Yondaime seal? When? How? Talk, now!"

Akimi covered a little, but was able to keep her voice cool. "Right, I don't know if you aware of this, but Naruto's seals is actually made up by the union of two minor seals, even though still of master level. There is a breaking in the lines of the seal, which allows the fox's chakra to constantly flow into Naruto system. It's one of the reasons Naruto-kun has such a bad time in chakra control."

Hiruzen was impressed by the girl's analysis, but he didn't show it. "Your point?"

"Oh, yes. Thing is, that the flow becomes bigger when Naruto molds chakra, making the seal visible. So, we were first training in water walking, when was that, 'to-kun?"

"A couple of months after you arrived, I reckon."

"So, yeah. Anyway... since he kept falling into the water, Naruto took off his shirt, so I noticed the seal. Since then, I worked to break down the seal."

Hiruzen massaged his temples. "I didn't know the seal could be visible, actually. When did you manage to discover the truth?"

Akimi shrugged. "It was mere chance we discovered it. Naruto-kun and I were discussing it after I finally discovered that it was mainly a great, giant and ultra-powered storage seal for chakra... It was the day before his birthday and Iruka-sensei always lectured us about the Kyūbi attack that day so... we kind of put all the pieces together. It was last October, just before graduation."

"It seems your talent for Fūinjutsu is even bigger than what I expected." Hiruzen said. "I..." he sat down. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Naruto shrugged. "I'm not sure. It's not just a thing you mention like that. You know, like... hey how is it going, oji-san, by the way, why is there a giant demon fox sealed inside of me?"

Sarutobi nodded. _'They don't trust me. Damn, I knew I should I've talked to him sooner.' _

"We understand why you kept this hidden from me." Naruto said. "I used to run around and yell all the time. I wasn't reliable. It's a military secret. I hold the most powerful Bijū... I could be targeted by other villages."

Hiruzen nodded sadly. "It's true. Other villages, especially Iwa, would feel threatened if they knew about you. You are, potentially, the most powerful of the Jinchūriki..."

"Power of _Human Sacrifice?_" Akimi hissed. Her fist clenched and were surrounded by flames. And did her eyes golden become for a second?

"'mi-chan" Naruto touched her shoulder, managing to quiet her down.

Hiruzen frowned. _'What was that?' _ "That is what they usual call those like you. I for one, don't think of you as a weapon or a sacrifice, but as a hero. This is what the Yondaime wanted as well." he softly said. "The main reason for my law was to give you a somewhat normal childhood. I hoped you could socialize with your peers, if they didn't know the truth. Of course, I also underestimated the hate of the villagers."

Naruto nodded. "I understand. But why didn't you tell me when I graduated? Had I really had not known about the fox on the bridge, I doubt I would have been able to stop."

Hiruzen sighed. "You seemed to be so happy, I didn't want to ruin everything by giving you that burden. Honestly, it was supposed to be a simple C rank mission, with no risk at all. I didn't expect you would find yourself in such a dire situation and call to its chakra." he explained. "I hope you can come to forgive me, Naruto-kun. I recognize my mistake now. I still think of you as the naive child you used to be, you know."

"I wanted to ask you, by the way." Kakashi spoke up. "_How_ did you stop its influence?"

"..." Naruto looked at Akimi, who nodded at him with a small smile.

"I thought Akimi was dead. For a second, everything stopped. Then I felt an overwhelming anger... before I knew it, I was surrounded by that... _chakra_ and was beating Haku to death. The power, the rush, the bloodthirsty rage... it was both disgusting and addictive. I only wanted to kill and tear... then I realized Akimi wouldn't have wanted me to lose myself in vengeance. So I stopped."

Kakashi nodded in understanding.

"Still, Naruto, you need to be proud of yourself. You proved without doubt who you really are: a proud shinobi of Konoha and not the fox. Stopping its influence so easily was really an amazing feat." Sarutobi said. "The Yondaime chose well."

After his apology and those words, Akimi's stance relaxed a little. "Why didn't you have anyone to examine the seal?" she asked. "You were surprised when I described its working..."

Hiruzen smiled sadly. "Only my wayward student has enough knowledge to do so. And I trusted in the Yondaime's ability."

"That man was a freaking genius." Akimi's eyes shined. "How I would love to discuss with him about seals."

"Akimi, can you determine if the happenings in the bridge weakened the seal?"

"Yes." she rubbed her chin. "I already looked at it, actually, because Naruto-kun was worried. The opening in the seal is bigger by... one millimeter, maybe? I'd say further connections or communications between Naruto and the fox are now easier. However, the strength of the seal hasn't faltered."

Hiruzen sighed in relief.

"Jiji, should I learn how to control its chakra? I don't really want to rely on it, but maybe if I do, I'll be able to prevent incidents."

"Being able to draw its chakra would be useful... and dangerous. There are no easy nor defined ways to control it. I have some scroll about Jinchūriki in general. You can have them... in the meantime, I'll look into it. However..." he stopped. "Don't attempt it without Kakashi. You need to be in a secluded place. Wouldn't want to create havoc in the village. I also need to know so I can alert ANBU."

Naruto nodded. "It's fine. It can wait."

"Very well. Lastly, Naruto, you can tell your secret to anyone you wish, but I warn you to be cautious, especially if they are not Konoha citizens."

"I probably will tell Shino. But beyond that, well, I'm not sure I want to share it..."

"It's up to you." Hiruzen said. "I'm sure you'll do fine. And now, I think you two earned your rest. You may go."

* * *

**February, 27****th**** 214**

"**Katon: Karyū Endan!" **Akimi shouted, holding the tiger seal. The massive burst of flame was more controlled, but not mastered. And the jutsu still left her breathless and exhausted.

On a more positive note, the absorption/protective seals she put on her training grounds prevent her and Naruto from causing too much devastation while training were working. She had probably paid half the cost of her house in reparation expenses.

"That went well." Naruto said, from his favorite exercising spot. He was doing push-ups.

Akimi turned to him and tilted her head. "I do not have enough chakra."

Naruto nodded, even though he could not really understand her predicament: he seldom found himself lacking energy. The girl joined him, starting to stretch.

"In battle," she started, "the jutsu leaves me vulnerable. It's the main reason Haku managed to knock me out. Yet, there could be scenarios when I need to use it, right?"

Naruto didn't answer, starting a sit-up set.

"I know that with training and determination I can get my reserves up... but I find difficult to gather enough patience." she concluded, starting her usual conditioning set.

"You are pushing yourself." Naruto observed. "I think sensei actually wanted us to rest this week..."

"He isn't that _deluded. _He gave us the week off because he wanted to read his _porn _in peace."

Naruto chuckled. "That's likely." he said. "Why do you have so many clones work on Fūinjutsu again?"

Akimi could as if of now, make eight clones. She had four of them study seals all the time. The others were split between meditation and Katon manipulation exercises. The true one herself spent her time practicing jutsu and exercising.

"I've few ideas." Akimi said. "Mainly chakra storage seals. I need them to be more powerful and easily accessible and also have to figure out a way to make them emit chakra slowly, so I can use them in battle. I'm close, but then reducing them to a collapsed form will be even more difficult."

"You mean to recharge yourself?"

"Yes." Akimi replied, switching to push ups. "I figured I'll kill two birds with one stone. Once I make them work, I'll charge them by exhausting myself every night before sleeping. That will boost my reserves considerably."

"Anything else?"

"I'm continuing my studies, of course." Akimi said. "What about you, did you choose a weapon?"

"Hai. I'll go with a tantō. Firstly, I thought a katana would be cooler, but thinking about it, I can just use wind to make them bigger... and tantō are quicker."

"Fair enough."

"We are going to Ichiraku for lunch. You are really pushing yourself too much."

"You want ramen."

"Very true. And to spend time with my girlfriend as well."

"We are spending time together right now."

"We are being teammates right now." Naruto replied. "We ought to enjoy ourselves as well."

Akimi giggled. "Sure thing."

* * *

Akimi and Naruto were walking down the main road, after a satisfying meal at Ichiraku. Satisfying especially for Teuchi-san, whose income had dramatically increased.

The two of them weren't really sure how to go with their new founded relationship. Akimi wasn't so keen to display her feelings, being very reserved and secretive. Naruto, on the other hand, was much more spontaneous, but he did respect her a lot.

So they were simply walking close to each other, sometimes their sides brushed together, that was all. They did exchange a beaming smile time to time.

"Oh." Akimi said. "Apparently Shikamaru and Chōji have a free day as well. They are at the usual place."

"Shall we visit them?"

The two boys did need to socialize with other people, even they knew this.

"Good idea."

Five minutes later, the two arrived in a very familiar clearing of Konoha Park, where Shikamaru was lazily laying and staring at the cloud, along with Chōji who was instead eating.

"Yo." Naruto yelled. "What's up, guys?"

"Troublesome..."

"Hi, Akimi, munch, Naruto." Chōji greeted. "Haven't seen much of you lately."

"Well, our sensei required a C-rank mission for us. We stayed in Nami for three weeks, more or less." Akimi answered, having care not to lie, nor to break the secret of what really happened on the mission.

"Sounds troublesome."

"Shika, everything that does not require you to lay still is troublesome for you." Naruto chuckled. "What about you? How is it going?"

"We are, munch, doing D rank missions right now. Our sensei is good"

"True." Shikamaru said.

Akimi chuckled, sitting down. "So he plays shogi, doesn't he?"

"Yes. Want to have a game, by the way?"

"Oh, I _was _hoping you would say that." Akimi smirked, producing a scroll. "_Kai._"

Naruto shook his head. "We've lost them, Chōji."

The stubby boy laughed. "That is fine, Naruto. We can always chat."

The blonde nodded eagerly. "Besides the chores you are stuck doing, what do you do?"

"Team training mostly. Ino is a little bossy, even sensei looks scared of her sometimes, but we are learning how to get along."

"Is she still a fan girl?" asked Akimi.

Chōji shrugged. "Well, she does mention Sasuke at least ten times a day."

"Yeah. Sasuke wouldn't be as lazy as you are, baka! OH, Sasuke would have got this down in no time, oh Sasuke... how troublesome."

"I pity you." Naruto said. "Shino and I are the ones who got the best kunoichi of our year, after all." He winked at her.

Akimi giggled, batting her eye-lashes. "You'll make me blush!"

Naruto chuckled. "So have any of you heard from Kiba? He is probably the one who has got it worse. Can you imagine? Sasuke _and _Sakura on the same team!

The three kids shivered, while Akimi muttered something about: _"obtuse fan girls..:" _

"I've met him few days ago, munch." Chōji said. "He is a little peeved, but otherwise fine, munch. Says Kurenai-sensei kicked both Sasuke's and Sakura's asses to get them to obey her."

"I bet that would have been fun to watch." Akimi observed. "Why didn't I ever think of sending Kaera spying on them?"

They all laughed.

"What about you two?" Chōji asked. "You got a C rank mission! How was it?"

Naruto shrugged. "It was an escort mission. Really it's just a lot of walking. But at least you get to leave the village, dattebayo."

Shikamaru yawned, moving one pawn. _'They are probably the strongest rookies... I mean, a C-rank mission after three months?'_

"Oh, this time I gonna get to you, Shikamaru!" Akimi exclaimed, rubbing her hands. "Just you wait."

* * *

**March 1****st****, 214 – Aburame Clan Compound **

Akimi thought the building reflected the mysterious and reserved nature of its inhabitants. The walls were probably the highest in Konoha and the whole area was silent and quiet. Considering the size of the place, she thought it may as well contain an entire forest inside.

The Aburame clan as a whole was a very secretive bunch. She had seen shinobi members of the clan only few times around the village and she didn't really know how to recognize their civilians. After all, their distinctive trait was their Kikaichū. Not only that, but before they were put on the same team, Akimi had almost never spoken to Shino, mainly because she thought _he _didn't want to. She simply had respected his privacy.

Of course things had slowly started to change, especially on the last mission. Akimi was very worried Shino could be thinking she and Naruto were excluding him, especially since they were now an official couple. Hence why she was there.

She hesitantly knocked at the massive double door and waited. _'No reason to be nervous, right?' _she considered, just as a smaller section of door opened to reveal only a pair of sunglasses.

"Yes?"

"Hello, Aburame-san." Akimi bowed. "I am Shino's teammate, Katora Akimi. I was wondering if I may talk to him?"

The small opening closed. Akimi would think it was extremely impolite, but she had come to understand that Shino rarely spoke unless he had to, so she would wager the door was about to be opened. She was right.

"Come, Katora-san, I'll take you to Shibi-san's house." a tall man said. He was clad in a heavy, dark grey coat, and his face was completely hidden by a hood.

"_Well, this explains Shino's fashion sense." _Akimi thought with a secret smile.

She hadn't guessed entirely right. The whole compound _was _a forest. The walls were just barely taller than the trees, so as to hide them from unwanted eyes. Despite this, the branches were all close to each other, letting only a dim light enter. She could make out the outlines of a several modest houses here and there. A quiet, constant buzzing sound echoed in the air.

"Here." the nameless Aburame stopped in front of the biggest house in the compound – and the farthest from the entrance. "Good day, Katora-san."

Akimi opened her mouth to call the man back: what the hell was she supposed to do know, knock again?

"So you are Shino's teammate."

Akimi jumped, startled, but thankfully managed not to call _Hi no Tate. _It had become a normal thing for her to summon the shield of fire when she thought she was being ambushed. And she knew flames made insects nervous. And making insects nervous in the middle of the Aburame compound was **not **a good idea.

"I am." Akimi said, managing to keep a controlled voice. "I should have known your clan's mate would warn you, Aburame-dono."

She turned and saw a very tall man, clad in high collared beige jacket, with his hands in his pockets. He had short spiky hair, she could glimpse a small moustache over his mouth and he wore sunglasses, like every other Aburame she had ever met.

"You may call me Shibi, child." the man replied. "Shino speaks very highly of you."

"I'm honored, Shibi-san."

"You wanted to see my son, correct?" Shibi didn't wait for her answer. "Come."

Akimi followed the imposing man into the shady house and they arrived in a small back courtyard that was even darker that the outside compound. Shino sat in the lotus position under a very big – and possibly old – oak tree. She could see small shapes flying around him.

"You have a visitor, Shino."

The boy opened his eyes and nodded at Akimi, before closing them again.

"My son is trying to increase the numbers of Kikaichū he can carry." Shibi explained, crossing her arms. "Your last mission deeply affected him."

"I thought as much. It wasn't easy on us either."

"Ah yeah, he mentioned you are always together, you and Uzumaki-san." Shibi said. "Why isn't he here?"

"He... err, he doesn't particularly like to meet... well, adults."

"I appreciate the sincerity." Shibi said. "You should tell him we don't like to judge people before meeting them. My wife will want you over to dinner sooner or later."

"I'll keep that in mind." Akimi nodded, just as Shino slowly got up from the ground.

"Akimi, I wasn't expecting your visit."

"Shino." she smiled. "Well, even though Kakashi-sensei gave us the week off I thought we could hang out a little. There is something Naruto-kun and I wanted to show you. The vault."

You could actually tell Shino was surprised, which was very rare. "_**The **_vault?"

"Well, it's not like I own so many different vaults..."

"I don't know what to say."

"It's an honor to be allowed into a clan's secret vault." Shibi solemnly said. "I thank you on behalf of my son."

Akimi just smiled. "It's nothing special..."

"While I have never heard of a Katora clan, my son told me you used to have a big family. It's a big deal, Akimi-san, I will remember this."

The girl seemed humbled. "Thank you, Shibi-san. It was an honor to meet you today."

The older man nodded. "Off you go then." and he left.

Shino was still frozen on the spot.

"Something wrong?" Akimi asked.

"You impressed my father." the boy replied. "Now that's not something I see everyday."

She shrugged. "Well, we should go. I bet Naruto-kun has already destroyed something in his anxiousness."

Shino looked even more flabbergasted. "Naruto... anxious? Why?"

* * *

As Akimi and Shino entered her house, they heard a huge explosion.

"I knew it." the girl sighed. "I told him not practice fire/wind jutsu alone."

Shino chuckled a little. "Now you know that is just wasted breath, right?"

"Well, I still had to try. I like this house." she shook her head. "WE ARE HERE, 'TO-KUN!"

"COMING!" Naruto's usually cheerful voice sounded a little strained. This confused Shino even more.

Akimi beckoned him to follow her and she guided him toward a small door in the atrium that was just in front of the main entrance. It opened on a narrow staircase. They soon arrived in the basement.

"We have a small larder here." she indicated a wood door. "But the rest of the space is taken by the vault." and she stopped in front a more solid looking door, reinforced with metal.

Akimi flashed through hand seals and Shino, as always, was amazed by her speed. She stopped, holding the tiger seal, and pressed her fingers against a small spike on the door, breaking her skin. The small drop of blood that followed made a glowing array of seals appear, then a click was heard and Akimi opened the door. "Welcome to the vault, Shino." she said, stepping aside to let him enter.

The room was really impressive. First, on the immediate right there were several chairs, placed around a round table and big bronze bracer. The small area was separated by high shelves covered either in scrolls or in books. On the left, there was an armory of sorts, fully stocked with kunai, shuriken, first aid equipment, explosive notes and standard storage scrolls. There was even a small forge there! Deeper into the room there were several chests, a huge scroll – the same one Akimi carried the day she arrived in Konoha – and what looked like ritual markings on the ground, also delimitated with shelves.

"I'm setting up a sealing chamber there." Akimi indicated the marks. "It makes safer to tattoo seals on the body."

Shino nodded. "Amazing."

"Here I come, dattebayo!" Naruto stormed into the room. "How do you like this place, Shino?"

"I'm honored you let me see it."

"Don't exaggerate!" the blonde shouted in replay. "We ought to take Kaka-sensei down here as well soon."

Shino looked sharply at him. "What's wrong, Naruto? You seem a little too _hyper _even for your standards."

Naruto fidgeted. "Why don't you sit down?" He was indeed very nervous. "There is actually something I wish to talk to you about, Shino."

Shino went to one of the chairs. "You don't say."

"Damn, I knew we shouldn't have taught him sarcasm." Naruto scoffed.

"I already knew it myself." Shino smirked. "You only force me to use it."

Akimi giggled, sitting down as well. "This is the most protected area I know of, if you don't count the Hokage's office. Here I am sure nobody can hear us." she explained. "We can continue what we were discussing outside Tazuna's house."

"Because Nami was oh so full of spies who wanted to eavesdrop on us." Naruto deadpanned. "But then again Akimi-chan is _very _paranoid."

"Shut up, baka!"

"I'm listening." Shino quickly said, interrupting their bickering before it escalated.

"My clan's true name is Enkounkin." Akimi quickly said. "We told you I've the ability of regenerate chakra quickly. It's part of my kekkai genkai. But I'm not really sure what else there is to it myself."

Shino nodded. "It's very logical you want to keep it hidden."

Naruto squirmed a little.

Shino frowned at him and Akimi contained a small laughter.

"Did you just squirm?" the Aburame asked, baffled. "Naruto, _what _is it?

"It's about Nami..." he murmured. "And the reason I've been shunned when I was little. When I thought Akimi had died and..."

"You refer to that strange chakra, I assume." Shino said.

"That's my burden and curse." Naruto exhaled and dropped on one of the chairs. "This is an S-rank secret that's why I wasn't sure I could tell you, but now jiji has cleared it."

"I would never betray your trust, Naruto." the bug boy said, seriously. "Death penalty or not."

"We know." Akimi reassured.

The blonde nodded as well. "I'm very sorry I haven't said this before." he turned his head away, unable to look at Shino. "I was born on October 10th."

"That's it? What's wrong with... wait, that is the day Kyūbi attacked. Why...?"

"I don't really rejoice that day. We don't know what exactly happened, but to save the village... Yondaime-sama sealed the Kyūbi away, because he could not kill it."

"In you?" Shino asked. "You hold the fox?"

"Yeah. I understand if you..."

"Ehi!" Shino shouted.

Shino shouted?

Akimi and Naruto gaped at him.

"Do you think I am stupid?" Shino continued his tirade. "I've seen what Akimi can do with Fūinjutsu... and the Yondaime was _the _master of the sealing art. I know you are not the fox."

Naruto didn't even close his mouth.

"I don't turn my back to my friends and comrades. You didn't ask for this burden, yet you now have to carry it. I also received my first colony of insects when I was a baby, unable to decide for myself," he stopped, "but the difference is I'm not saving anyone in doing so."

Naruto's eyes were watering. "Thanks, Shino."

"Thank you for confiding in me."

"You need to know that I may call upon _its _chakra again. If I do... be careful. I wasn't myself then." Naruto said, his voice dangerously wavering. "And it may be very harmful for you Kikaichū, so..."

Shino nodded. "I will, but I know you won't do it without a good reason, Naruto. You are the one who said he wished not to kill anyone anymore. I know the _true _you."

"Right..." Akimi exclaimed. "Enough serious stuff for today. My clone must have finished preparing a special comfort lunch for us. There is Ichiraku's ramen for Naruto-kun, a big salad with dessert of winter melon for Shino and steak for me!"

"Did you say ramen?" Naruto thundered.

Akimi couldn't even answer that he bolted out of the room. Shino gave out a small, brief chuckle.

The girl looked at him with a bright smile. "Naruto is afraid of being rejected." she said quietly. "You don't realize how much your words meant to him. I'll never forget it, either."

Shino shrugged. "I was very lucky to have you two as teammates, you know." he answered. "It doesn't matter what will happen in future, maybe we'll go down different roads, but deep down..."

"... we'll always be Team 7." Akimi stood up. "Now I think it's better if we go after him before he destroys my kitchen too."

Shino chuckled again.

* * *

**March, 7****th**** 214 – 10.00 AM, training grounds 7**

"Hello, team!" Kakashi exclaimed, appearing in the middle of the clearing.

"**Katon: Goukakyuu!"**

"**Suiton: Mizurappa no jutsu!" **

"Damn you and your freaking stamina... **Doton: Doryū Engo no jutsu!**"

Kakashi smiled at the usual spectacle of Akimi and Naruto sparring. Shino was instead fighting Naruto shadow clones, to avoid killing his bugs without reason.

"Ohi, sensei." The three genins stopped their training to get near him. "What was it this time? Some old lady wanting your help?"

Kakashi shrugged at Naruto. "A black cat crossed my road and I had to take the long route to get here. You know, bad luck and all."

"It's good you did it, or you could have Sunshined into the middle of our spar." Akimi smirked, crossing her arms. "So, what now, sensei? New chores await us?"

"They do. But not right now." Kakashi said. "Now we have a chat. You had time to think about what happened in Wave, right? How do you feel?"

"Mmm, enlightened." Akimi answered first. "I always knew that I was stronger than the average genin, since I had the experience of the travels with gramps to back me up. The mission made me realize that it is not nearly enough. Haku was very strong and as young as we are."

"Ditto." Naruto said. "Now I know that my enormous chakra levels and stamina are not enough. And I also learned where true strength lies. Even though I probably already knew it."

"I think I'm a little outclassed." Shino said. "Why do you ask? Naruto, you are so unpredictable and determined, and you mentioned already your stamina. Akimi, you managed to do effectively a new B-rank jutsu during battle. So I asked Tou-san for help."

"You can catch up in no time, dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed, giving him a thumb up.

Akimi nodded beside him. "Yes, without doubt you are much better than us at tracking."

Kakashi eye smiled. "I'm very proud of you, you handled the mission very well. You are more than ready for a true, standard C-rank, but we'll wait a little bit for that. I want to train you more extensively for a while."

Naruto jumped "No more chores?"

"You have already a good team work, a respectable record and a fair amount patience. We may still do some, but not every day." Kakashi said. "Now, is there something you feel you need to learn? Or you want to?"

"Sensei." Akimi intervened. "Why don't you choose D-rank mission that can help us training? I dunno, something that requires lifting something heavy, for example."

"Good point." Kakashi said. "I'll look out for them."

"Can you teach me kenjutsu, sensei?" Naruto asked instead. "That will work so well with Fūton."

Kakashi chuckled. "It's not my expertise, but I know the basics. I was in ANBU after all. I'll teach you the Katas and you can have clones practice them. We will spar everyday to see your improvement. Akimi, you may also attend the lessons, since your folded Fūma Shuriken is essentially a blade."

She nodded.

"Shino, would you like to learn how to use a weapon as well?" Kakashi asked.

"It would be logical." Shino said. "Probably a long range one, that can also adapt to close range though, should I find myself in a sticky situation."

"Naruto-kun and I are going to a weapon shop later... you could tag along." Akimi said. "Browse a little with us."

Kakashi eye smiled at the display of team boding. "Just let me know, Shino. I suppose your clan will teach ninjutsu... and I can work with you on tracking. I know a couple of tricks about it myself."

"Good. I think I may focus on that." Shino fixed his eyeglasses. "I really like it."

Kakashi nodded in approval. "It's good to see you are already finding your calling, Shino." he then turned to the two ninjutsu freaks of the team. "What about you two?"

"I really like Suiton. It may be a secondary affinity or something." Naruto said. "Can you help with that?"

"Sure thing, Akimi?"

"I'm perfecting **Karyū Endan** right now." she said. "But my next goal is to become proficient with Doton at least B rank level as well. Probably a defensive jutsu, just in case."

Kakashi nodded. "Sandaime-sama sends you these, Akimi." he gave her a scroll.

The girl raised an eyebrow. _'Is he trying to earn my trust back? But then again he already gave us those scrolls after graduation... maybe he is just rewarding us because of the mission. Oh, no, he remembered! Good old Sarutobi-sama... you can't __ever__ stay angry with him.' _she thought, reading her scroll. She found three Doton jutsu: **Doryūdan, Doryū Numa **[Earth Flowing Lake], **Doryū** **Taiga** [Earth Flowing River] and **Doryūheki** **no Jutsu **[Earth Style Wall]**. **They were all B-rank jutsu. "These are great... especially the Earth Wall. That will be my next goal."

Kakashi nodded. "I think that learning **Tsuchi Bunshin **will also be useful, Akimi. That said, I think it's time to start. Shino, I'll start working with you on taijutsu, as always, but then I've a little surprise for you... Naruto, I'll be teaching you Suiton. Akimi, we'll work on your skills with Fūma Shuriken."

"Hai, sensei!"

* * *

"Well, that's enough for today." Kakashi said, eye-smiling. It was sunset.

After some taijutsu practice, Kakashi had Shino working with his ninken on tracking. Pakkun, who was the smallest of them but the best tracker, hid in the woods and the boy had to find him without being detected, while the others both observed and gave pointers.

Meanwhile Kakashi had worked with the other two in ninjutsu and a little kenjutsu. After lunch – courtesy of Akimi's storage scrolls – the three genin engaged in an all-out taijutsu only spar, under the jōnin's watchful eye.

"What, I can still go on!"

"Why, for all means keep working, Naruto." Kakashi easily said. "It's a pity only Shino and Akimi shall enjoy dinner at my treat at the Akimichi's restaurant."

"Now that I think about it, I am a little tired."

He received three skeptical looks as an answer.

"Wait a second, why are you offering us dinner?" Akimi asked. "We usually eat at our house."

"That's because you and Naruto cook so well." Kakashi ruffled the girl's hair. "But today is special, is it not?"

"What do you mean, sensei?" Shino asked.

"Why, today is Akimi's birthday." the jōnin said. "I'm surprised you didn't know."

"You shouldn't." Naruto said. "The first birthday of hers we spent together I didn't know about it. If it wasn't for jiji giving her a scroll as a present."

"Well, you don't like your birthday either."

"I have good reasons too." Naruto said seriously. Then he smirked. "You... you are only shy."

"I am not."

"Are too."

"Don't start it again." Shino interrupted them.

"I just don't see what great deal is. It's my birthday. I am a year older. Yeah, so?"

"But you get presents." Naruto tried. "And you can spend some quality time with your amazing teammates."

Kakashi laughed. "Besides, we are shinobi. Celebrating you surviving long enough to see another birthday is very important. It's a way to show you appreciate life." he said. "We had the same special dinner for Shino's birthday, before we left for Nami, remember? And when is Naruto's turn we will as well."

"What about yours, sensei?" Naruto asked.

"Well, that depends if you find out when it is before it comes."

"Is this a challenge?" Akimi crossed her arms.

"It is." Kakashi eye smiled. "Just don't ask Sandaime-sama. It would be too easy."

"Fair enough."

The foursome started to walk towards the village.

"Mah, Akimi, now that you are thirteen will you sign your Summoning Contract?" Kakashi asked, turning a page on his book.

"Eventually yes." she replied. "For now, I don't have enough chakra to use it well, so it would be a waste."

Kakashi nodded. "I see. When you do, let me know. I can teach you."

"Of course, sensei."

"What a bummer." Naruto murmured. "I so want a Summoning Contract myself."

"It would be useful." Shino agreed. "Logically."

"You should wait." Kakashi said. "You may be surprised."

Naruto looked sharply at the jōnin. "You know something we don't, sensei?"

"I know plenty. Was there something more precise you had in mind?"

"Summons!"

"Mah, I know how to summon ninken, why do you ask?"

"Argh, sensei!"

Akimi giggled and even Shino smirked.

"Sorry, did you say something, Naruto?"

* * *

**March 11****th****, Katora Residence**

"Damn, I think I'm almost exhausted. Sensei worked us hard." Naruto said, dropping on the couch.

"Why, those words sound so strange coming from you! Sensei told us he wants to take us on a C-rank next week, that's why he gave us hell today. Maybe you should have not left all those clones practicing here. And you say **I **push myself."

"You don't have my stamina. Nor the regenerative powers Kyūbi gives me."

"True enough." Akimi sat near him, leaning over him. "Give me a few minutes. I'll have my clones dispelling."

"Yeah, me too. But I'll have a couple of them doing us dinner."

"Good thinking." the girl mumbled, snuggling in the boy's embrace.

"Whoa, my clones almost cut the waterfall." Naruto exclaimed. "That is good."

"Mine finished the chakra storage seal thing. They even drew it on themselves to test it. Its perfect." she smiled. "They also found an interesting seal. Something I've been thinking about..."

"Yeah?" Naruto asked.

"The **Loyalty Seal.** There are actually two versions of it. One almost enslaves the victim to the user's will. The other, allows two people to form a connection of sorts."

"Like you and Kaera-chan?"

"Yeah, I think grandfather developed our seal from it." Akimi stopped. "It has great potential."

"What does it exactly do?"

"It's like a beacon. The seal is linked to life force, so... actually the Loyalty Seal per se isn't that useful, but it can be combined with others."

"Do you think it's possible to create a telepathic link like yours and Kaera?"

Akimi rubbed her chin. "Possible yes... can I do it? Not sure."

"Mmm..." Naruto smiled. "I think you can. Maybe not right now, but sooner or later, yes."

"Your faith in my ability is both flattering and misplaced, you know?"

Naruto shrugged. "Nay, it may take you years, but you will figure it out."

"Well then." Akimi said. "I've a new project: create a telepathic link. That will keep me busy for a while..."

"I've got an idea as well." he said. "A modified storage seal on our gloves."

"For kunai and shuriken?"

"Yes. Also one for my tantō would be nice. You know, so I can keep the fact that I know kenjutsu secret until I actually need to use it."

"Smart." she smiled. "It should be easy to do. I'll need a couple of days to pull it off, though." she yawned. "Damn, I think it's best if I draw the chakra storage seals tomorrow. I'm sleeping on my feet."

"Hold on. Dinner's ready."

* * *

**JUTSU NOTES**

**Kenjutsu** is the ninja art of the sword.

**Orioke no Jutsu** [Sexy Technique] E rank (rumored to be A-rank for certain individuals), supplementary (offensive for the same certain individuals). It is a joke variation of the Transformation Technique, to transform in a semi-naked alter-ego of the other sex, whose intimate "bits" are covered by clouds.

_Notes: while this Naruto is much more mature than the canon one, he did develop this technique before meeting Akimi (Henge has always been the one technique he never had real problem with) and therefore knows how to use it. It will also play a couple of interesting cameos in later chapters._

* * *

**CHAPTER'S NOTES**

_I wanted to ask you guy what you think of the foldable Fūma Shuriken as a weapon for Akimi. Is it believable? I chose it mostly because when folded it really looks like a claw and I think it goes well with Akimi's tiger theme (especially when she'll start to summon)_

_Also, any suggestion about Shino's weapon? I already have an idea, but since I haven't really made him use it yet I can always change it easily. I was also trying to think about a Summoning contract to give him, but I don't have a lot of ideas... maybe I'll give him Kakashi's, to match his tracking abilities. Yes, I think I am going to make Shino a master tracker, it sounds cool, no?_

_Does any of you want me to expand on this new C-rank, or can I leave it hanging? Maybe I'll make it into a side story or something._


	12. Chap 11 The Chūnin Exams Begin

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

_**EDITED: 26**__**th**__** January 2013**_

**_Author's note_**_: Thanks to everyone for reading! Now, to answer your reviews:_

**_Naginator_**_: thank you. About the Uzumaki legacy, well, Akimi doesn't fully trust the Sandaime right now and doesn't want to ask him, because she doesn't think he would answer. Naruto follows her lead, but the issue will be discussed in later chapters._

**_forbiddenfruitunloved_**_: thank you, and you made a very good point. Akimi is very protective of Naruto, but she also has a very strong sense of right and duty – as it happened with Gatō, when she lightly killed him because of his deeds. Moreover, you must consider that she really respects the Yondaime because of his sealing prowess (although she doesn't know the merit for them mostly stand with Kushina) and also knows that Naruto still thinks of him as an hero (despite the Kyūbi thing). Secondly, she is an expert Fūinjutsu user and consider sealing an art, or better yet the Art, so what really pisses her is the behaviour of the villages and especially shinobi who can't see the cliché difference between the scroll and kunai sealed inside. This said, she won't jump from joy when she learns that the Yondaime is Naruto's father but she will soon get over it (like Naruto did in canon...)_

_As for the Hawk thing, I'm so sorry to say that I have a soft spot for Toads. I think they are really cool (in the Naruto verse, I don't particularly care for real ones) and they have so much potential for Jiraiya-Naruto bonding. I do like falcons very much though, so I'll try to implement them in the story, but not as Sasuke's second summons. Sorry if this disappoints you._

**_Neo Amon_**_: thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed last chapter. We are really on the same wavelength because it always pissed me that nobody really spoke to Naruto about the fox, if you don't count Mizuki spilling the beans at him. The only one to remotely do so is Jiraiya but even then he only refers to "special red chakra", now really it makes me wonder if canon Naruto is so clueless because others made him so. Well, that's what fanfics are for._

**_shadowmarialove_**_: thank you, I'm glad you like the story. I've always thought that too many OCs make any stories too heavy to read, so besides a couple of minor OC villains now and there (for missions or something) there only will be another major secondary character OC, which anyway implied by Akimi's story anyway..._

_Starting from tomorrow I will not have access to a stable internet connection because I'm leaving for my university's town, as I have a couple of exams in the next few two weeks. So I can't guarantee stable updates, but I'll try my best. If not, I'll be back around mid September._

_Also I meant to ask you guys, does it bother you that I use the Japanese names for techniques, weapons etc? Should I put the translation in brackets each time or are the notes at the end of the chapters enough?_

_This said, enjoy the chapter! =)_

**THE CHŪNIN EXAMS BEGIN**

**April, 7****th**** 214**

Akimi, Naruto and Shino were walking along the street from their training grounds towards the main town.

"Boys," Akimi said, "I need to drop by to the library. They should have gotten a book I ordered."

"We'll see you at Ichiraku, then." Naruto replied.

"Yeah, whatever. I'll find you." and she disappeared with a Hi Sunshin [Fire Sunshin].

Naruto keep going on, until he felt he was being followed. He turned. "Oh, boy."

"Naruto, who are they?" asked Shino.

"Someone who should know that rocks _aren't square!_" _'Damn, 'mi-chan, you knew they were coming, did you not? That's why you went away.'_

"Ah, I knew I should have expected this from the man I chose as my rival!" a voice exclaimed, before the rock disappeared with a cloud of purple, blue and yellow smoke. A lot of smoke.

When it was cleared, three children were revealed. The one in the middle, who had a long blue scarf around his neck, coughed. "You used too much gun powder!" he exclaimed, before something even creepier took place.

"The one who possesses the sex appeal of an adult, the sexiest kunoichi from senior group – Moegi!" the girl with orange hairs said, attempting a sort of cool move.

"The one who loves to divide numbers – Udon!" the boy with huge glasses.

"And the village's number one genius – Konohamaru!"

"And together we are the Konohamaru corps." they shouted together.

"Naruto, I repeat, who are they?" Shino asked, a little freaked out.

"Some friends of mine. I help them with their training from time to time. What is it, Konohamaru?"

The three children used the puppy eyes no jutsu on him. "You promised to play ninja with us today, Naruto-nii." Konohamaru said.

"What sort of ninja plays ninja?" a high pitching voice asked. "What's the point of it?"

Clad in her usual brilliant red dress, with her long pink hair, Haruno Sakura just got out from a nearby shop.

"Actually, it's a great experience for all of us." Naruto said. "It helps my leadership qualities and their skills. Win-win."

Sakura looked at him with a strange expression. _'I heard he has greatly improved... has he really?' _

"Ohi, who is the girl?" Konohamaru asked. "Oh, is she your..."

"N-No!" Naruto exclaimed, with a stutter. "No."

"Damn right, Akimi-neechan is much better." Konohamaru said, nodding wisely. "This one is ugly! And she has a very big forehead."

Naruto's eyes widened. _'Oh, damn!' _

"What did you say? **Shannaro!**"

"Run!" Naruto yelled. "Consider this part of your training."

He and the three kids bolted as if their lives depended on it (and it did, in fact). Konohamaru quickly went ahead of them, increasing his speed. He was running so fast that he closed his eyes and as a result he violently collided with something. Or better yet, with someone.

"That hurt!" a rather tall boy said. He wore a black suit, with a hood that had cat-like ears. Two purple lines were on his face. A little behind him, a tall blond kunoichi was standing.

Naruto, Moegi and Udon stopped in their tracks, as well as Sakura and a silent Shino who followed them (it was a rather entertaining show, after all.)

"I... I am s-s-sorry." Konohamaru stuttered.

"Are you now? I think you should learn not to piss those superior to you." the weird looking boy said, grabbing his scarf and raising him from the ground.

Now, Naruto was a very happy go lucky kid. Unless someone threatened his friends. That made him angry. "Because picking on kids half your size makes you so cool!" he growled. "Must be to compensate for your cat's ears and that makeup."

"It's not make-up! It's war paint."

"Whatever makes you feel better."

"Kankurō, stop messing around, if we are late _he_ will get angry again!" the kunoichi said.

"Just give me a second, Temari. I need to teach these kids some respect."

"Listen now, fucker." Naruto hissed, drawing a kunai. "Put down my friend, or I will **cut off **your freaking hand!"

"Really, weakling?" Kankurō chuckled. "I would like to see you try."

"He won't need to." The black clad genin felt a sharp point at his neck. "Suna nin-san"

The other girl's eye bugged out, because she hadn't even felt the new girl arrive. She was very petite, but that did not make her less dangerous to a trained eye.

"Besides, I don't think threatening the Hokage's grandson will improve our villages relationship. Put him down." Akimi intimated, increasing the pressure of her Fūma shuriken on his neck. "Slowly."

Kankurō obligated and Konohamaru ran to hide behind Naruto's legs. Akimi reappeared beside the blonde as well, with a small Hi Sunshin.

Kankuro was fuming. Those weak looking midgets from Konoha had made look him ridiculous. He hated to use Karasu so soon but... "You damn brats." he hissed.

"Kankurō, don't...!" Temari said.

Kankurō put his hand on his shoulder to access the weird looking bandaged bundle he carried. As he was about to drive it, though, he was stopped by a rock. "What...?"

"Ah, nice to join us, Uchiha-san." Akimi said, without moving her eyes from the Sand duo.

"Sasuke-kun!" exclaimed Sakura, dreamily.

The black haired boy jumped down from a nearby three, his hands in his pockets and his face scowling. It was his "tormented hero" or "cool" pose. Or so some thought.

"This place is becoming so crowned." Akimi observed. "Maybe you would like to come out as well, shinobi-san?"

Kankurō froze. "No..." he was trembling.

"Kankurō..." a new voice drawled. It was cold and terrifying. Team 7 tensed. "... you are a disgrace to our village."

"I'm sorry, Gaara, please... forgive me." he stuttered.

They all saw a red haired boy on the tree besides the one Sasuke jumped from. He had a malicious look, very pronounced eye bags and a gourd on his shoulder. He disappeared from his position in a cloud of sand, to reappear between the Konoha group and the two other Sand Shinobi.

"Please forgive my brother's rudeness, mina-san." he said, coldly.

"No harm done." Naruto replied, with easiness, studying him with caution. _'Wonder why he wears the kanji of love on his forehead.'_

"Wait a second," Sakura intervened, "I know that Hi no Kuni and Kaze no Kuni have an alliance but it also states that no ninja can cross each other's land. Why are you here?"

"Are you that clueless?" Akimi asked. "It's time for the Chūnin Selection Exam. It's Konoha's turn to host them."

"Looks like at least one of you isn't totally oblivious." Temari spat. "We are indeed Genin from Suna no Sato, here to take the exams and..."

"Enough. Let's go." the red haired boy said, turning on his heels. The other two followed him.

"Wait a second." Sasuke said. "What's your name?"

"You mean me?" the kunoichi asked somehow hopefully.

"No, the one next to you, with the gourd."

The red eyed boy turned again, slowly. He glared ahead. "My name is Sabaku no Gaara. I'm also interested in you..."

"I'm Uchiha Sasuke."

"... I meant the girl." Gaara said.

"Katora Akimi." was the nonchalant reply.

"I'm looking forward to meeting you in the Chūnin Exams. And killing you. You and your blonde friend." and he turned again.

Naruto made a step forward, outraged, but Akimi stopped him by taking his hand. "Let them go."

Sasuke glared at the two genins, who really couldn't care less about him.

"Shino, Konohamaru, Moegi, Udon." Akimi smiled. "What about we all go to my house for lunch? Then we can have a little spar."

The children jumped excitingly, while Shino merely nodded.

"Uchiha-san, Haruno-san, until next time." She grabbed Moegi and disappeared with a fire Sunshin. Naruto did so with Konohamaru and Udon, vanishing with a small blow of wind. Shino was gone as well, this time with the standard leaves, leaving Sakura and Sasuke a little speechless.

On another group of trees, three genins watched the events unfold. Their headband had a musical note on them.

"What do you think?" one asked.

The one in the middle, whose face was partly covered by bandages, smirked. "They do not look like much." he said, without noticing the bug flying around him. "But we need to keep an eye on the black haired ones from Konoha and the one with gourd from Suna..."

* * *

The Hokage sat on a blue padded armchair, in front of him a table with his crystal ball. On the wall at his shoulder was hung a banner with the symbol of Konoha. In front of him, a small contingent of jōnins and chūnins was assembled.

"Now that we are about to start the Chūnin Selection Exam, those of you who are in charge of new genins step forward." Sarutobi said, emitting a puff of smoke from his pipe. Three particular jōnins did so, finishing directly in front of the Sandaime's desk. "Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma. Are there any genins you wish to nominate among those you teach? As you know, any genin who has completed at least twenty missions is eligible to take them through your recommendation."

Kakashi was the first to speak, moving his right hand to form the half ram seal. "From the 7th Graduated Squad I lead... Aburame Shino, Uzumaki Naruto and Katora Akimi. Under my name of Hatake Kakashi, I nominated them for the Chūnin Selection Exam."

Iruka gaped softly from his place. _'What?' _

"From the 8th Graduated Squad I lead... Uchiha Sasuke, Inuzuka Kiba and Haruno Sakura. Under my name of Yūhi Kurenai, I nominated them for the Chūnin Selection Exam."

"From the 10th Graduated Squad I lead... Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, Akimichi Chōji. Under my name of Sarutobi Asuma I nominated them for the Chūnin Selection Exam."

The three statements roused a lot of whispers from the presents.

"All of them...?"

"It has been years since rookies have taken part of the exam!"

Hiruzen let out another puff of smoke, pensively. "Mmm..."

"Please wait a second!" Iruka stepped forward.

"What is it, Iruka?"

"Please let me speak, Hokage-sama. I taught all nine of them at the Academy and while each one of them is very talented... it's too early! They need more experience."

Kakashi half-glared at him. "I was half of Naruto's age when I became a chūnin."

Iruka started walking towards him. "Naruto is different from you! Are you trying to ruin him?"

"Yes." Kakashi deadpanned. "He is always up to a new challenge so I thought put him in a dangerous situation and possibly ruining him could be fun."

"What did you...?"

"That was a joke." Kakashi said. "Iruka-sensei, I value your opinion, and know that you must be upset, but..."

"Kakashi, stop." warned Kurenai.

"... don't interfere! They aren't your students anymore. They are my soldiers now."

"But—"

"Iruka." the Hokage quietly interrupted the argument before escalated. "I understand your argument: so we will put the rookies through a preliminary exam. You can test them to see if they are experienced enough."

"What?" Iruka asked.

Kakashi smirked. "I advise you to save _my_ kids for last – or you won't be able to test the others."

* * *

**Katora Residence – 5.00 PM**

Akimi had taken care of the Konohamaru corps, showing them a small Katon trick before sending them off to practice. She explained to them that, as true ninja (albeit only genins) they were busy, so they shouldn't be offended if they couldn't spend time with them. To calm them down, she had Naruto send one of his clones with them.

Now, Team 7 had just finished sparring.

"You are getting better at dodging, Shino." Naruto said. "Akimi didn't even scratch you... we can start with jutsu next."

"I want to be even more proficient before. I don't want to hurt my Kikaichū."

"Makes sense." Naruto said. "Have you figured out yet how to make that shield we spoke of?"

"Tou-san says I need to reinforce my Kikaichū with chakra so they can sustain more damage. I still have a long way to go... but I should be able to do a rudimentary one if I need to."

"If you want we can test it with low ranked techniques, as soon as you are ready." Akimi said, lying on the ground. "What do you think about what happened before, with those foreign ninja?"

"They were really weird." Naruto said. "The only one remotely normal was the Suna kunoichi."

Shino shrugged. "Do you think sensei is going to enter us in the Exam?"

"It's very likely." Akimi said. "We did well in those C-rank missions and he always trains us so hard. Why else would he? He is very laidback."

"Then we must avoid those three." Shino seriously said. "My Kikaichū were as unsettled as when we met Zabuza around the red haired one."

Akimi nodded. "Yes, I noticed him as well. I mean, he told us he was going to kill us just like he was talking about the weather."

"His eyes." Naruto murmured. "They frightened me."

His friends looked at him like had grown a second head. Naruto, afraid?

"'to-kun..."

"Sorry, don't mind me." Naruto smiled cheerfully. "I'm not even sure why that one had such an effect on me."

Akimi was about to speak, but her eyes suddenly went wide.

"What's wrong, 'mi-chan?"

"Sorry, sorry. I got a little feedback." she said, while signaling: "_Someone broke into the perimeter seal._"

"Really, what about?" Naruto curiously asked.

Shino immediately sent his bugs out. He only needed few seconds to scout such a small area... "_On the trees. Chūnin level signature._" he immediately signaled.

Akimi laughed. "Kaera just got herself in a little trouble. Nothing much." she explained, stirring. As she did so, she felt the attack coming. It was going towards Naruto. She immediately formed hand seals, holding the tiger seal for last. "**Katon: Kemorekagure no Jutsu!**"

As the smoke formed around them and all the grounds, the three genins used it to scatter and regroup behind the waterfall, where Akimi had created a small alcove she used for meditation. Yeah, Doton was really useful.

The Hidden in Smoke technique was the Katon version of Kirikagure, developed by Akimi herself after Nami. It was basically like a big smoke bomb, but it lasted longer. It had also the advantage of making whoever was caught in it cough uncomfortably, giving an offensive edge to the technique.

"What do you think?" Naruto asked.

"It looked like an Ame shinobi." Shino said. "I glimpsed his Hitai-ate."

"It doesn't make sense." Akimi observed. "He could be here for the Exams, but why would he attack us? And here, moreover! Besides, he went for Naruto."

"Yeah, someone who has never met us would think you are the weak link, since you are a kunoichi. Not that I agree with this vision, 'mi-chan, but lots of male ninja underestimate women."

"I know." Akimi said, bitterly. "So he is from Konoha."

"Likely." Shino nodded. "Then he is here to test us. What do we do?"

"Give him hell." Naruto replied.

"I concur." Akimi smirked.

"Metaphorically speaking of course. If he is a comrade, we can't permanently hurt him." Shino logically said. "Keep B-rank jutsu out of this."

"Fair enough."

Iruka coughed again, incapable of seeing and even properly breathe in the thick cloud of smoke. _'I never heard of such a jutsu... damn' _After a few minutes, though, the bloody smoke cleared. _'Of course, Akimi doesn't have a lot of stamina. She probably used this as a way to cover their tracks.' _

In fact, there was no sign of the genins around.

Iruka closed his eyes, being a good sensor, and tried to locate them. He had no time to do so.

"**Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu!**" Akimi's hands appeared from the ground behind him, grabbing his ankles.

Iruka tried to yank her off, opposing to the technique, but in the end he had to use Kawarimi. _'__**Two **__different nature types? Damn, she is good.' _

"What do you want, Ame-nin?" asked Naruto, appearing behind him and launching a punch at him. Iruka easily saw the movement, dodging it, only to be cut nevertheless. _'What? How?' _

"**Fūton: Kaze no Ame!" **shouted Naruto, jumping back.

'_Elemental manipulation?' _Iruka wondered, amazed. He used Kawarimi again, having already seen more than enough but... _'Kikaichū!' _he realized, seeing a black cloud surround him from all sides but one.

Shino had been hidden, waiting for the right moment to act. Of course, the fact that Akimi had placed a female bug on the _Ame _nin when she had grabbed him from underground only made things easier. Onto the next part of the plan...

Iruka could only use Kawarimi again. However, he had not prepared many logs around.

As he landed in the middle of the small grove, he took a deep breath. _'I can leave. They are ready, yes.' _So he leaped towards the nearby perimeter wall. However, just as he made to jump on the other side, he felt a jolt through his body, paralyzing him. _'A seal?'_

"Are you going to leave us so soon?" Naruto mocked, holding a kunai and nearing him. He placed the kunai to his neck. "The fun just started."

"Trespassing is a serious crime in Konoha, especially since you are probably here for the Chūnin Exams." Akimi said. "You should have behaved."

"I think you should talk now. Why did you attack us?" Naruto asked, menacingly.

"Calm down." the _Ame _nin said, a little worried. "I really mean no harm."

Akimi raised an eyebrow. "Do you, now?"

"I can explain."

"So, who are you really?" Shino asked instead. "And do we pass?"

"What? How do you know?"

"It's logical." Shino said. "Why do you ask? We have no reason to have an Ame nin after us. We have never been even remotely near to Ame, in fact. And you attacked Naruto first."

Iruka cursed. _'Of course. Had I really not known anything about them, I would have targeted Akimi' _

"You pass." he said.

"Aren't you going to show yourself?" Akimi said. "_Kai!_" she touched him, dispelling the Henge.

"Iruka-sensei?" Naruto asked, immediately withdrawing his kunai.

"You have been holding back on me." Iruka said. "The dead last thing was all an act?"

"Mmm... sort of. Deception is a shinobi greatest weapon, after all. It's one of the Golden Rules."

"Golden Rules?" Iruka asked, frowning.

"That's a long story, sensei." Naruto said. "You know what, since you attacked us and we defeated you, you owe us. What about Ichiraku, dattebayo?"

Iruka shivered. _'And __there__ goes my last pay check.' _"I suppose it's fair. Good job, kids."

* * *

**April, 8****th**** 214**

"Yo!" Kakashi saluted, appearing with a puff of smoke.

As usual, the three genins were training. Naruto was sparring with Shino, using their weapon of choice: tantō and staff. Akimi was meditating near the memorial stone, her body covered by a faint red aura. She was basically channeling Katon chakra all around.

"Sensei!" greeted Naruto, going for a frontal slash at Shino, who easily parried it.

"Right, stop a sec and come here." Kakashi said. "I've got something for ya."

"When do the exams start?" Akimi asked, stirring.

"..." Kakashi was surprised only for a second. "Ah, you found out what Iruka-sensei was up to, then?" he said, eye smiling. "In five days time, be at the Academy, room 302, ten in the morning."

"Mmm. Academy?" she said. "That's kind of rules out a direct battle test."

"Logical." Shino said. "Probably will be something to test our supplementary abilities."

Kakashi smirked. "Yeah, yeah. So this is the plan. We'll train very hard for the next two days, and then you take it easy."

"I think we should prepare as if they were a long term mission. Food, extra weapon and such..." Akimi, ever the paranoid, said. "A survival test of sorts is _very _likely."

"Good." Kakashi said. "That brings us to the first part of this intense session. You have until sunset to draw blood. Your opponent will be me."

"Let the battle royal commence!" Naruto bellowed. "**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**"

As Naruto created a handful of clones, the other two (and probably the real blonde as well) used the cover of the smoke the technique created to hide. Kakashi nodded approvingly.

"No time to read my book this time."

* * *

"Did you hear? They say there are going to be rookies in the exam for the first time in five years." a young boy clad in a green suit, with the Konoha Hitai-ate as a belt and bandaged arms, said. He had a bowl-like black hair and two enormous eyebrows.

"Really?" a girl dressed in Chinese style replied, flipping a kunai in her hand with high speed and skill. "No way... it's probably the jōnins trying to look good."

"I heard Kakashi's squad is one of them. They are rumored to have already been out of the village on C-ranks. Uchiha Sasuke will be there as well." the other boy replied.

The girl snorted, launching a kunai. "But in the end..."

She hit a bull eyes above the head of her last teammate, who had long brown hair and was dressed in a beige uniform. His Hitai-ate covered his forehead. He didn't even blink when he felt the air hissing because of the tossed weapon.

"It's pitiful for them..." he said. "To compete so far out of their league."

* * *

Team Seven was exhausted, but they managed to draw blood... with Naruto's **Orioke no Jutsu. **A little unorthodox, but effective. Only it was the first time Akimi saw the technique, and she had been a little annoyed by it. Naruto begged a lot, managing to calm her down after she gave him only one punch. Sure thing, it was engulfed in Katon Chakra, but he survived.

Akimi entered Tetshu's weapons with Naruto in tow.

"Akimi, Naruto, what brings you here?" the owner asked from behind the casher. "Don't tell me you broke your weapons already!"

"No, but I finished designing a seal that helps with chakra flow. Thing is, it works best if we help with the weapon creation."

"So the weapon would recognize your chakra better... how do you plan to do that?" the blacksmith nodded. He enjoyed working with the two kids – and their teammate too – they always had great ideas.

Akimi had first met him when she asked help with her Katon manipulation by assisting him at the forge with a clone. Since she did it for free, it was a win-win situation for Higarashi, who in turn was willing to help them with their weapon's stocks.

"Well, in my case is obvious. I will simply use my Katon chakra to forge the weapon, with your help, Tetshu-sensei." Akimi considered the man a master blacksmith and she respected him a lot. "Furthermore, I'll have a clone engrave and maintain the seal. I'll need three Fūma Shurikens done. We are going to enter the Chūnin Exams."

The man whistled. "Impressive. What about you, Naruto?"

"I'm not as good as Akimi with fire, but I can start a small one and augment its intensity with Fūton. I'll also have a clone maintaining the seal."

"Right then. I suppose you will want a chakra conducting metal. And maybe you should also put some protective seals? To reinforce the blade itself."

Akimi nodded. "Yes and a blood seal as well – for summoning... I'll work out the details. We were wondering if we can do it the day after tomorrow? Tomorrow we have some major training planned."

"No problem, kids. Now go, I have to close up. And good luck!"

* * *

**April, 13****th**** 214**

"Good old Academy." Akimi said. "Mah, it seems like ages ago we were coming here every day."

Naruto nodded. "Very nostalgic."

"Shall we go?" Shino asked. "Is it clear how we are going to play this?"

"Sure, dattebayo. Keep in the shadows and ears opened."

They entered and started heading towards the third floor. Of course, they were a little surprised to find a room with the "302" sign only after two staircase. Akimi raised a hand to stop them, curious as what was going on.

A crowd of genin was being pushed around by two glaring ninjas on the door.

A girl was begging them. "Please, just let us through." she had brown hair, kept in two buns.

'_She is strong. Her __muscles__ are very developed. She is acting, obviously. She is too... whiny.' _Akimi noted.

"You are pathetic!" one of the bullies in front of the door said. "The Chūnin exams are though. I should know, since I failed them myself. Do yourself a favor and go home."

'_Stupid. It makes sense of warning __fellow__ Konoha's nin, but here they are making a scene for everyone to see. Unless...'_

"Drop this farce." an arrogant voice said.

"Oh, here comes the great Uchiha-sama." Naruto derisively murmured. "Will he save the day?"

"What farce?" asked the other genin who was blocking the way.

"Come on. I realized it almost immediately. Sakura, you probably got it first? Our sensei is Konoha's genjutsu mistress, so just drop it, really."

"I don't know what you are talking about!" one of the bullies said. "But I'm sure a weakling like you should get lost. This is no place for you."

"How dare you!" Sasuke leaped forward, at a very impressive speed. The other genin looked ready to meet his charge, but both were stopped by a green clad boy.

Akimi almost didn't see him coming. _'A taijutsu specialist.' _she concluded.

She shrugged. "I'm bored now. Let us go to the true third floor."

Naruto and Shino nodded. "A ninja should not show off." the Aburame said, before all three of them used Sunshin to leave.

* * *

Room 302 was a large classroom with probably 200 hundreds seats. It was full of genins, some of them very seasoned and menacingly looking.

Akimi wanted to pass unnoticed, even though she was maybe a little too wishful, given that Naruto was her teammate. They met Shikamaru, Chōji and Ino after a while.

"So you are too in this troublesome exam?"

"Yes, we also saw Team 8 before. They should be here soon." Naruto said, not realizing his mistake.

Ino jumped around, in excitement. "Sasuke-kun? Where is he? I haven't seen him since graduation..."

"Such a tragedy." Akimi said, turning a page from the book she was reading. (She had to kill time somehow while waiting, no?)

Ino glared at her. "What did you say?"

Akimi raised her eyes, looking at the blonde girl. She smiled sweetly. "Sorry, I was thinking aloud. Don't let me bother you, Yamanaka-san."

Ino wanted to reply, but she saw Sasuke arrive and was distracted. Of course, it also meant she started screaming louder. "Sasuke-kun! Did you miss me?" and she jumped over to him.

The last Uchiha looked annoyed and a little freaked out. Naruto smirked.

"I haven't seen you in such a long time!"

"Ino-pig, hands off!"

"Oh shut up, your forehead is as ugly and wide as usual. Why would Sasuke-kun bother with you?"

"We are teammates!"

"Hn. You are both annoying."

"Oh, thank the Kami." Kiba approached them. "I was going crazy with those two."

"Maybe you should ask Ino to switch teams." Naruto observed.

Kiba watched the two girls have a cat fight about their Sasuke-kun. "As appealing as it sounds, even I don't hate Sasuke _that _much."

Akimi giggled. "He looks bruised. Did something fun happened after you left the false door 302?"

Kiba wasn't surprised they had been there. Akamaru smelled them. He eyed with wariness the small silver tiger that purred between the girl's feet.

"The crazy green clad genin, Rock Lee, challenged Sasuke to a fight. He was winning big time even though the teme used his Sharingan, when his sensei stopped them. It's creepy because they are basically the same... dressed the same way too."

"Interesting." Akimi said. "And Sasuke awoke his kekkai genkai? Didn't know that..."

"Yeah, we were attacked by a big group of bandits on our last C-rank mission." Kiba said, proudly. "Are you impressed? We were on a C-rank! I've greatly improved, so be ready to get your ass kicked by me!"

"You should quiet down." a gentle voice said. "Besides, gathering in big groups make you look weak... and may also irritate someone. Ame ninja, for example, are known for their short tempers."

"And you are?" enquired Naruto, with a bored voice.

"Yakushi Kabuto" the other genin said. He wore a Konoha Hitai-ate and had two round glasses on. "And you are the rookie nine, are you not? The ones who graduated only few months ago?"

"That's right!" Kiba exclaimed. "First rookies nominated in years."

"While this is impressive, you should calm down, this isn't a field trip." Kabuto said, darkly. "Many of the genins here are from foreign villages we are barely friendly with. They won't hesitate to kill you."

"You don't say." Akimi boringly commented, turning a page on her book. "We are ninja, Yakushi-san. We are not _that _oblivious."

Kabuto almost lost his composure at this, but managed to keep his reassuring smile on.

"You look very knowledgeable on this exam, Kabuto-san." Sakura intervened. "Is this your second time?"

"No." Kabuto smiled. "This is my seventh."

"Seventh?" Sasuke snorted. "You can't possibly be that weak."

"Not so much weak as more "facing impossible odds." he crouched on the ground, producing a deck of cards. He claimed they were his ninja info cards. "Here..." he showed them a diagram map of the countries, with the numbers of genins each one sent to the exam. Konoha had the most, 87, while Oto the least, 3. The total was 153.

Akimi frowned at this. _'That is an impressively __complicated__ seal. It responds to his chakra, masking the info to anyone else. I could break it down, probably, but... failed 7__th__ times, __huh__? The two things collide, unless someone else drew the seal for him.'_

"You see we have fifty one teams in total, this year, it's actually a rather small exam. Usually more than half are cut off before the second exam. Two thirds are eliminated before the final stage... and if you arrive there, is not automatic you get promoted."

"It's sounds difficult." Sasuke conceded.

"Yeah. I actually made it through the first two exams several times, but the second ones hit me so hard I can't go on."

"Ouch." most of the rookies said.

"Troublesome."

Sasuke crossed his arms. "Kabuto, do you have information on single ninja as well?"

"Is there someone you would like to know more about?"

"Yes. Rock Lee. Sabaku no Gaara and... Katora Akimi."

"Why, you can just ask, you know." Akimi replied. "But I'm flattered, really."

Naruto chuckled.

Kabuto simply smiled. "Oh, you know their names... too easy." he pulled out a card. "Let's start with Rock Lee. Mmm... he graduated last year. Mission experience is 59 D-ranks, 13 C-ranks... not bad. Teammates are Hyūga Neji and Tenten. Jōnin sensei is Maito Gay. He has a high level of taijutsu and he has improved greatly in the last year, but he is almost subpar in the other fields. He stood out as a very talented genin last year but did not take the exam, so it's his first time as well."

Sasuke nodded. "A taijutsu specialist..."

"Next one is Sabaku no Gaara. I don't know why he has that title, but it stuck. His mission experience is 9 C-ranks and 2 B-ranks! Wow, that is impressive as a genin... Teammates are Temari and Kankurō, his siblings. They are actually the children of the Kazekage. I don't know who his jōnin sensei is. His abilities are unknown, sorry but he is from Suna, you know... oh, this is interesting, though: he apparently has come back from all his missions without a scratch."

That got Akimi attention. _'I've a very bad feeling about him. I mean, this means he has some kind of __**very **__good __defense__. And his own siblings are scared out of their mind of him...' _she was pulled back from her musings by Kabuto's voice.

"... Katora Akimi. She is the first kunoichi to have received the title of "rookie of the year", being in par with Uchiha Sasuke in terms of grades, but having beaten him more times in taijutsu sparring. Her mission experience is _37 _D-ranks, _2_ C-ranks and 1 **A-rank **missions... an A rank mission?" He looked curiously at her. "As a genin?"

"Long story." Akimi replied. "Go ahead. I'm dying to know what else you have about me." _'It was classified! How did he know?' _she looked at Naruto. "_Get me that card when he finishes._"

The blonde smirked.

"Right. Teammates are Uzumaki Naruto and Aburame Shino. Jōnin sensei is Kakashi Hatake. Abilities: she's got high levels in all the three fields. She has greatly improved since graduation, especially in ninjutsu. She has a great analytic ability and high intelligence, and is talented in Fūinjutsu as well. She also has a familiar, a small cat, abilities unknown. Apparently, her own jōnin sensei is wary of her and Naruto's teamwork, which is classified as borderline ANBU level." he sounded impressed. "And her team holds the record of having caught the cat Tora in the least time – 5 minutes and 59 seconds. How did you...?"

Akimi was flabbergasted the Hokage actually did put _that _in their record. And even more than the so called _genin _had the information. "Now, that's a secret. You already know enough about me, don't you think?"

Kabuto nodded, a little smirk on his lips. "Fair enough." he put the card back in the deck, on the top. "Would you like to know something el..."

Then it happened. A sudden blow of wind scattered Kabuto's card around.

"Let me help you, dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed. Nobody noticed that he hid a card in his sleeves. He always knew it: had the shinobi thing failed he could have become a very skilled thief. Or an actor. Whatever.

"Thanks, Naruto-kun." Kabuto said, putting his cards away. "I wonder from where that wind came from... it's strange. Anyway—"

A bang interrupted him. At the front of the room a cloud of smoke had appeared. When it cleared, a group of people were revealed. An imposing man wearing a black trench coat and a bandana was in the front, surrounded by a group of chūnins in grey uniform. "SILENCE, PUNKS!" he bellowed, unleashing KI on them. "Sorry I'm late."

'_Impressive. It's almost as high as Zabuza's' _Akimi noticed the scar on the man's face. _'He is a tough one.' _

"My name is Morino Ibiki." he announced. "I am proctor for the first test of this exam. We already wasted enough time as it is, so... Let the Chūnin Selection Exam start!"

* * *

He was so very tired.

The last couple of years had been bad. Very bad. He wasn't even sure how he had survived... survived. Yes, that's was the right word. He couldn't really consider it like proper living.

It had been mostly dark. Or extremely bright, he wasn't sure. But the end result had been the same: he couldn't see. Not only, but each single breath, each single movement of even a finger had been pure torture. He couldn't stand it anymore.

"Damn old man..." he croaked, with a hoarse, raspy voice. He had probably dared too much, because he broke into a mad coughing fit.

"Master!" an alarmed voice exclaimed, as a door opened. "Master, are you all right?"

He tilted his head, amazed. He could clearly make out a man's outline on the door's threshold. That was good. "No." he hissed. "I am not, but soon I will."

"Master?"

"I'm finally starting to recover." he announced, with a small smirk. "Have you found her?"

"No, but we are getting closer, master." the voice replied. "She has been good at covering her tracks."

"No matter, it will be a while before I can effectively face her." he felt like laughing, but didn't particularly want to cause another coughing fit to happen. They burned his very lungs. Damn old man.

"All this chatting has made me weak." he said. "Today I will need two."

"Hai, master." the voice answered. "But it also means we'll need to hunt soon. These are the last ones."

"Whatever. Just be careful not to be discovered. Now hurry, I'm hungry."

* * *

"All right, midgets. Turn in your application forms, you will be been given a number at the entrance. Find the chair with yours and sit down!" Ibiki bellowed, entering the nearby class rooms, where several long tables had been set up. "You will receive your test paper soon."

Naruto mentally cursed. _'Written test, damn it.' _

"_We have our seal._" she signaled.

The blonde sighed in relief. Of course. He should have thought of that. He smirked: things were going well. They had basically passed already: there was no way in hell the girl could fail at a written test! She practically lived with a book on hand when she wasn't training, sleeping or... well, spending quality time with him.

Once everyone was seated, the tall man moved at the center of the room and started to explain the rules. "Listen carefully, because I will not accept any questions. This written exam is based on 10 problems, each one worth a point." he snarled. "Each person starts off with ten points, which makes thirty points per team. You will be deducted one point for each unanswered question or uncorrected answer. If you are caught cheating, two points will be subtracted. If you are caught more than three times, your squad gets disqualified and your paper will not be graded. You want to become Chūnin, then you must act like first rate shinobi."

The examiners, who were sitting in single chairs at the sides of the room, smirked at the genins.

"We'll be watching." one warned, sardonically. "At any time."

Ibiki gave a wicked smile, before continuing. "The squads with more points will pass into next session, but theoretically you could have only one point and still allow your team to pass. So what matter is your team's total score. If one of you gets zero, their entire team will be disqualified."

Some of the examinees started to protest at the rules, but Ibiki would not have it. "QUIET!" he roared. "Or I will send you and your team home! There is a reason for this."

An eerie silence followed the threat. _'He is someone anyone wouldn't want to cross.' _Akimi thought.

"You have one hour. You will now receive a paper with 9 questions. The last one will be given to you ten minutes before the end of the exam. So those of you who will finish early will have to wait." none of the genins dared, or cared to, utter a comment. "Very well: chūnins, hand out the papers."

Akimi eyed the first question and frowned. _'The hell? This is well above chūnin level... Mmm.' _She mentally shrugged. There was no way the examiner could catch her and Naruto communicating. Not even Kakashi and Shino knew the details of the Loyalty Seal they had made to each other two weeks prior. She smiled thinking about it.

* * *

**Flashback no Jutsu. **

"_Are you sure you want to do this? I'm not even sure it's going to work." Akimi said. "It's only a first __draft__."_

"_I trust in you and your abilities." Naruto replied. "Besides, I would say it's only __a__ framework, because it can be improved so much and it looks fine to me. Are you sure there is room for modify it?"_

"_Quite sure."_

_They were in the vault, where Akimi had built a small sealing chamber, delimiting it with high shelves. On the ground there was a complete array of seals, the very unrefined outline of the Loyalty/Telepathy seal they wanted to create eventually. Naruto was sat in the middle of the array, his legs crossed._

"_Where do we do this?"_

"_Left shoulder. More or less where we have our clan insignia."_

_Akimi nodded. "Right, you know how this will go. We made __an__ ink with only our __blood__ and infused it with chakra. You have to constantly send chakra on the spot I'll draw on. I'll make a seal on the spot you indicated to compress and contain the seal on the ground in a small place. Do you remember the hand seals to activate it?"_

"_I think so." Naruto took off his muscle shirt. "I only hope not to screw up."_

"_I'll have a Kage Bunshin observe and guide you. Don't worry." Akimi smiled warmly at him, before throwing the ink of blood on the ground over the engraved seal. "I'll use the __**Shikoku Fūin**__**to**__ engrave the seal, then I'll set the blood on it to __make__ a tattoo. This way, our blood and our chakra will be merged. It may be slightly uncomfortable."_

"_Don't worry."_

"_Now... start sending chakra to this point." she touched the place where the neck met the shoulder. "__**Shikoku Fūin!**__" she exclaimed, starting to draw a line. _

**Flashback no Jutsu: Kai**

* * *

The Loyalty Seal she had modified for her and Naruto allowed them to send pulses of chakra to each other, so they could communicate through Morse code. It had greatly improved their teamwork, much to Kakashi dismay. Of course, it was only a rudimentary version, and Akimi was working hard to improve it. There was not any time to lose, though. Akimi took a calming breath and started to work on her problems.

Naruto was bored. He was not bothered by the cold stares of the examiners, or by the hard scowl on Ibiki's face. He knew Akimi would soon give him the answers. But what was he going to do for a bloody hour? He debated starting to drawing casually on the table, but eventually settled for reading the test. Maybe he could get some of the answer on his own.

'_First question: a cipher. Looks difficult. Second question... the parabola, B, represent a shuriken's maximum throwing distance of the enemy ninja, A, from the height of seven meters. Figure out the trait of the enemy ninja that can be visible by the ellipse of the shuriken and figure out the maximum throwing distance on flat ground. Explain your reasoning.' _Naruto read.

Or maybe not.

'_What the hell? To answer this one needs to figure out data from indefinite facts. Thanks the Kami, 'mi-chan loves to analyze and is a shuriken obsessed lover... wait a second! Only very few genins could answer this. In Konoha, probably only Akimi-chan, Shika and Sakura... This is an intel gathering test, of course.' _Naruto looked around, seeing some _genin _writing rapidly on their papers. _'So we are seated in benches with 10 seats each. Sixteen benches. That makes 160, but only 153 candidates are in the exam. Kabuto's info are revealing themselves __as__ useful. So the intruders are probably chūnin with the right answer.' _

"_I've got the first one down._" Akimi sent him. Naruto watched the clock. Five minutes. The girl was good. "_Here it goes. To be a ninja means..._"

* * *

"Number 9 fails. Numbers 83 and 149 fail with him."

Akimi had finished tipping Naruto the ninth answer with ten minutes to spare and spent her time chatting with him. She had figured out the true purpose of the test was intel gathering as well, so she and Naruto observed the other genins to pass time.

Naruto had noticed Tenten, the bun-haired girl, doing a very complex trick with mirrors. '_I think she used strings to manipulate them. She looks very handy with them.' _Sasuke used his Sharingan to copy the movements of one of the Chūnins, Kiba had Akamaru bark the answer to him.

He then observed the Suna Siblings, seeing Gaara using a strange eye made of sand and then spelled the answer to Temari, always with sand. Kankurō had asked to go in the bathroom and had since then disappeared. Unless he had some serious problem, he was evidently cheating somehow.

"_So he is a sand __user__. Probably a kekkai genkai." _Akimi noted. "_He gives me the __creeps__._"

"_Yeah. I don't like the look in his eyes. Ehi, do you reckon Shino is fine?" _

"_Sure thing. His Kikaichū were flying around me before."_

"_Smart guy."_

"Number 71 fails. Number 121 and 17 fail with her." one of the Chūnin examiners said.

Akimi had also supposed the test was all based on mental stress. Everyone was not only responsible for themselves, but for their teammates as well. Either because they were afraid of their reaction if they failed them, or genuinely cared for them, it created a lot of pressure. A pressure that got bigger at every tick of the clock.

"Right, put your pens up, maggots!" Ibiki barked, as the clock hit 10.45. "The incompetent ones had already left us, so now we can proceed with the last question."

Temari sweated in her seat. _'Damn, Kankurō, come back!' _

"_But_, there is something I have to say first: there will be some special rules for this question."

He was interrupted by an awkward looking Kankurō, who came back that very moment.

"You are lucky. Your little puppet show will not go to waste. Sit down now, punk!" Ibiki thundered.

'_Puppet show? Mmm... so he is a long ranged fighter. I wonder how he would like our Toukai Combination Jutsu. [Destruction Combination Jutsu]' _Akimi smirked. _'Thank you, Morino-san, for this head up.'_

Ibiki walked and faced the window. "First, you get to choose whether to take this question or not... and second, if you refuse, your score will automatically go to zero, failing you and your teammates – independently from your performance on the other problems."

"Then of course we are going to take it! What kind of stupid question is this?" a genin asked.

Ibiki ignored him and put his hands in his pockets. "If you chose to take the question and fail it, you will..." he paused, smirking evilly, "lose the privilege to take the Chūnin Exam ever again."

Gasps filled the room, many examinees started to tremble, while other protested in rage.

"That's bull!" Kiba shouted. "There are other genin here who have done this exam before!"

Ibiki chuckled, amused. "You are unlucky, brat! Those presiding the exams change every year... and this year went to **me**! I, and I alone, make the rules: if you fail, you'll never get the chance to become Chūnin again! There is nothing you can do about it." Ibiki looked them over, smiling with false gentleness. He looked like a predator ready to leap. "That is why you have the chance of quitting. If you aren't confident, you can try again next year... or the year after even. So, if you want to leave, raise your hand." and he laughed again.

Many genins began to sweat. Akimi sighed and lowered her head on the table. _'I wonder how many are going to crack.' _she smiled remembering Kakashi's words on the way to Nami. _'Abandon your duty is not courageous...' _

Suddenly, the kid on Naruto's left raised his hand. "I... I quit. I won't take it" he stuttered.

"Number 50 fails." said one of the chūnin examiners. "Numbers 112 and 24 fail with him."

"I'm sorry Genai... Idaho. Damn it!" the genin who just gave up exclaimed as his teammates rose.

"Me too!" another one cried out. Several hands shot upwards after that.

As the teams cleared off, Naruto looked around, trying to glimpse others who may quit. _'Sakura is trembling. Even though she is probably as intelligent as Akimi, she lacks her confidence... what to do? If she fails, the teme goes with her, but Kiba is a friend.' _His eyes then fell on Chōji, who also looked uncertain. He probably was afraid to take the question and fail, dooming his teammates with him, without caring at all about the possibility of never become a chūnin again. Good old Chōji. His choice made, Naruto leaped on his feet, his fists clenched. He was trembling.

"Mmm?" Ibiki looked at him with mild interest. "Something wrong, brat?"

Naruto gritted his teeth. "I only had something to say."

Akimi rose from her semi slumber. _'Oh, this is going to be entertaining.' _

Ibiki raised an eyebrow. "Then, by all means... go ahead."

"Screw you!" Naruto shouted.

"Excuse me?" Ibiki asked, scowling. "Would you care to repeat that?"

"Screw you and your stupid rule!" Naruto yelled, waving his fist around. Ibiki was slightly surprised. "I'm no coward, you don't scare me! So I don't care about your threats or whatever... just give me that damn question! I'm ready for it..."

Ibiki walked towards him. "This choice is important. It may impact on your whole life. Think carefully."

"That's bullshit!" Naruto shouted back. "If I can't even face a stupid question in a stupid exam how am I supposed to become Hokage? I don't give I shit about this, I don't run away... and this is why I will still become Hokage, even if I stay a genin my whole life before that!"

Ibiki concealed a satisfied smirk. _'This one has guts. I like him.' _"I will ask one more time... Are you sure? You still have a chance of quit now."

"I don't back away from my word. That is my nindo."

The proctor spotted the look of admiration and awe that many genins were giving the blonde and noticed the knowing smirk on the girl he knew was his teammate. He mentally sighed. There was no more use in keeping the farce up. The blonde had given confidence to every remaining genin in the room. _'Seventy eight. That's more than I expected.' _Finally, he looked over to the other chūnin examiners, who all nodded at him, a slight smile on their lips.

"Impressive determination, brat." Ibiki said. "Then... for this first exam, everyone who is here..." the man allowed himself to smirk as he had wanted to for the last few minutes. "... passes!"

It took everything he had not to laugh at the look of shock he received, especially the flabbergasted one on Naruto's face. His smirking teammate simply chuckled softly.

"What? Wait a minute!" Sakura asked, confused. "What about the tenth question?"

Ibiki did give a sincere laugh at this, incapable to hold it in anymore. "There was no such thing, but you can call the two choices I gave you the tenth question: do you stay and take a chance, or walk away and hope for a better time?"

"Then why did you ask the first nine questions?" Temari protested. "It was pointless!"

"It was **not. **They served their purpose." Ibiki crossed his arms. "This was a test to gauge your information gathering skills. The questions _couldn't _be answered by an ordinary genin. You **had **to cheat, hence why if you were caught once you didn't fail but simply lost points. Of course, if your cheating was really too obvious or you screwed up too many times, you would have been failed anyway. Why?"

He took off his bandana, revealing that his skull was full of scars, holes and burnt marks.

Many genin gaped. "Torture..." was the whisper among them.

'_Damn, that must have hurt like hell.' _Akimi thought, feeling a surge of respect for the man.

"This is only an example of how far an enemy will go to get information. Intel has a great value in missions and battlefields." Ibiki seriously lectured. "And sometimes lives are lost to protect and find it. The info you gather or not could make the difference between the death and life of a comrade... for this reason you must be certain it is not false or tampered with. That's why there were chūnin disguised as genin among you, to see if you could choose the right people to cheat from. And the test was team based, so those of you who don't have strong reconnaissance skill could still pass with support of their teammates, testing your ability to communicate information as well. Plus, it put pressure on, because you were afraid of being a nuisance for your teammates."

"And the tenth question?" asked Temari. "I still don't get that."

"It was the main point of this test. The question placed you in front of a very painful choice. Let me explain with an example." Ibiki said. "Let's assume you have been given the mission to steal some important information from an enemy fortress. The numbers of enemies, their abilities and weapons are unknown. There may be traps... your life and that of your teammates could be easily be in danger. Do you take the mission or not?"

Silence.

"You do. To become a chūnin, a squad commander, you must show you have the guts to risk everything and the ability to face unknown dangerous mission, all the way caring about your comrade's wellbeing, even if it costs you." Ibiki solemnly said. "Those of you who don't have the determination or courage to bet everything, because there may be another future chance, have no right to become chūnin. That's what I believe. But you are here, so you have proved you are worthy. Congratulations." he smiled, sincerely. "I wish you luck for the rest of the exams."

"They'll need it!" A round shape came hurling from the window, shattering it. It was revealed to be a person, wrapped in a banner, when they launched two kunai attached to the fabric at the ceiling, the banner rolled down, hiding a sighing Ibiki from sight, it read: _"The second proctor, Mitarashi Anko, is here!" _

"There is no time to be happy!" a chirpy voice exclaimed. "I am the second examiner, the sexy Mitarashi Anko. Let's go to the second exam! Follow me!" and she threw her punch in the air."

Nobody moved and many looked at her like she was crazy. _'Now, she reminds me of Naruto-kun a little.' _Akimi thought, appraising the strange choice of outfit of the woman: a grey fishnet shirt, a mini shirt and a long beige trench coat. _'I wonder if out there exists a powerful ninja who is normal. Probably not.' _

"Damn, Anko." Ibiki got out from behind the banner. "I was giving a speech! You ruined the atmosphere."

The woman blushed slightly, before looking around. "Seventy-eight?" she asked, her embarrassment disappearing. "Ibiki, you let twenty-six teams pass? You are getting soft!"

"There are some excellent candidates this year."

"Oh, well." she said, shrugging. "I'm going to make more than half of them fail in the next exam."

That provoked some nervous looks and whispers from the examinees.

"Ah, good." she nodded in approval, grinning madly. "I can smell your fear... I'm getting exited. I'll explain the second exam to all of you once we arrive at the new testing grounds. So, everyone: follow me!"

* * *

**JUTSU NOTES**

**Katon: Kemorekagure no Jutsu**: [Hidden in Smoke Technique] C/B rank, supplementary/offensive, short to mid range. The techniques works like a big smoke bomb, but can be held longer and also used to partly suffocate opponents. It is the counterpart of Kirikagure (Hidden in the Mist)

**Shikoku Fūin**: [Finger Carving Seal]: C rank, supplementary. The user sends chakra to one finger using it to burn letters or seals on a surface. It requires good chakra control, but knowledge of Katon manipulation makes it easier to perform. If used on leaving flesh, it will scar, creating a permanent mark.

**Loyalty Seal**: a very complex seal, connected to twin seal, that basically creates a constant link between two people. For this to occur, the users need to share chakra and blood while creating the seal. With a couple of additional seal, it is very easy to allow communication between the two seals, by sending controlled bursts of chakra through them, resulting in a Morse like communication.

* * *

**CHAPTER'S NOTES**

_About Kabuto: so, I am not sure about it, but suddenly a complete stranger arrives and starts to give you advice out of the "goodness" of his heart. He also happens to have cards with detailed information of your peers. With mission records. Not that is not suspicious at all._

_Haven't the rookies ever been told not to accept sweeties from strangers?_

_I found it a little ridiculous in the show, so I changed it. That and we know Akimi is kind of paranoid. Oh, and there is the Wave mission classified thing that got him away. Poor Kabuto._

_About this, do you want me to get rid of him or to make him survive to be a major villain tomorrow? Either way, I have things more or less sorted. (even though in the second case he will not become a crazy summoner of dead people. Or if he does, there will be a minimum. He can't just go and revive any single shinobi who died. It gets old)_

_About the exam: I made it like the show, if you bar the break between the first and second exam (I think Anko told them to get to the Forest of Death the next day, not immediately), but I think it's more realistic this way. The poor genin are thrown into a survival training without having time to prepare... that's more challenging._

_Besides, from the latest chapter of the manga, I think Exam are always the same, at least in Konoha (without really spoilering, you could see the second exam in the tower of the forest of death in flashback)_

_That's all. Thank you for reading!_


	13. Chap 12 The Forest of Death

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

_Author's note: Thanks to everyone for reading! _

_So I finally found my way back on the internet and here I am with another chapter. _

_Thanks to _**Naginator **_for reviewing. =) _

_**Neo Amon: **thank you again for reviewing. Once again, you made some very good guesses. _

_In my story Naruto can sense other Jinchūriki on a subconscious level, he cannot understand _what _is wrong with Gaara, but he recognises the look in Gaara's eyes as one very similar to his own. He sees the loneliness and pain in Gaara and on an instinctive level is scared of him. _

_About the mysterious man, I was purposely being a little obvious about who he was, but I just wanted to show to the readers he is still alive and plotting (what and when this is still unknown). _

_The Loyalty Seal is very much permanent and you may be able to glimpse a part of its role in a few chapters. And about Orochimaru... well, you'll see. _

**CHAP 8 – The Forest of Death**

They were in front of a very high metallic fence, covered with warning signs that promised death and pain to those fool enough to enter. Some high trees with gigantic roots could be glimpsed behind the protections and a very grim aura came from the place. It was not the ideal place for a picnic, that's for sure.

«Welcome, kids, to training grounds number 44,» Anko announced, «also known as the Forest of Death...» She smirked, hearing several shocked and scared gasps. «I'm sure you will all experience why it was given this nickname very soon.»

The proctor basked into the squirms of the scared genins, overjoyed. Until...

«Sugoi!» Naruto jumped in excitement. «_This _sounds like fun. Not sitting for hours on a bloody chair.»

«It was only one hour.» Akimi observed, turning a page on her book. «Drama queen.»

«Details.»

Shino smirked at his teammates usual banter, while Anko looked in surprise at him.

«You are either crazy or very courageous, boy.» the proctor said, tossing a kunai at him with a sudden, quick movement. «Those like you die first.»

The blonde didn't even falter, but simply stepped aside. The kunai flew past him and, as it neared Akimi, she simply caught it without even raising her eyes from the book.«He is both.» she said, throwing the kunai back. «You dropped this, Mitarashi-san.»

«Why, thanks.» Anko pocketed the kunai, smirking. «You are really an interesting bunch of kids this year.» _"They must be Kakashi's brats... I heard they were even in A rank mission and performed greatly." _«Well, let's go to business now. Before we can start with the real exam, you all need to sign these forms...» as Anko spoke, the chūnins who assisted her started to hand out papers. «Failure to do so will result in your and your teammates disqualification.»

«What are they for?» someone asked.

«Oh, nothing much» Anko replied causally. «From now on, people will die. We need you to sign your consent, so I – nor Konoha – will not be held responsible for your possible early demise...»

There were many gulps of fear and everyone – even Naruto – looked very serious. It was not time to joke anymore.

As they started to sign the papers, Anko showed them a small map of the training area. It was a circular enormous forest, surrounded by high fences, that was crossed by a river. A tower stood in the centre, ten kilometres from the entrances gates.

«Well then, if you have the stomach to sign your waivers return them to the booth over there... and you will in turn receive a scroll. There are two sets of them.» she showed them two scrolls: one white-blue with the kanji for heaven and a dark brown one with the kanji for earth. «To pass to the next session, you must collect and bring to the central tower a full set. I don't care how you acquire your missing scroll, it just needs to be intact.» Silence. «But there are some very important rules: first, if one of you is severely hurt or killed the entire team is disqualified; second, you cannot open the scrolls before you reach the tower. Clear?»

«Hai!»

«Excellent!» Anko exclaimed, happily. «The time for this exam is 120 hours... in other words five days. Those of you who can't make it to the tower before the deadline will fail.»

«What about food?» Chōji asked.

«Well, there is plenty of it inside.» Anko smiled sweetly. «Just be careful not be eaten by it first. The flora and fauna aren't really friendly, you know...»

«Thank the Kami you are paranoid and sealed away tons of supplies, mi-chan.» Naruto whispered.

The Akimichi, instead, groaned. «Oh, no...!» he exclaimed.

«Well, it's a survival test, you know.» Anko shrugged. «Off to get your scrolls now, maggots!»

Akimi closed her book. «So a maximum of thirteen teams can pass.» she mused. «But it's very likely that only an handful actually will...»

«The difficulty of the exam has raised exponentially» Shino concurred. «Shall we?»

Naruto nodded. «Ohi, Shino, time to use your tracker prowess...» he whispered.

The Aburame simply smirked.

Team 7 made his way to the booth, being actually one of the firsts to get there. A grey clad chūnin took their waivers and gave Akimi a fair coloured scroll. «Good luck.» he said.

«Thank you.» she smiled dazzlingly, before she tripped for no apparent reason and made the scroll fall.

«'mi-chan, everything fine?» Naruto went to support her, while the chūnin looked a little taken aback.

«Yeah, sorry... must be the nervousness. I feel a little faint.»

«Are you sure you don't want to give up, kids?» the chūnin asked, taking up the scroll and giving it back to them.

«Nay. I'll eat a cookie or something on my way out. Don't worry.» Akimi bowed. «Thank you, chūnin-san.»

The three genins left the small booth. «Success.» Shino said. «Good acting.»

«Why, thank you.» Akimi bowed to an invisible audience. «Let's see who gets an earth scroll, now.»

Shino had used the distraction Akimi and Naruto created to sneak some Kikaichū inside and all around the booth, so to see which Team would get which scroll.

«Ouch, the Sand Siblings received one.»

«Rule them out.» Akimi quickly said, even though she didn't really need to.

«Team Ten also got one.» Shino continued, listening from the feedback of his tracking Kikaichū. He waited. «As well as Team Gai and Yakushi-san's one.»

«Bad choices all of them.» Naruto murmured, cursing. «I would hate to fight Chōji and Shika... and let's not forget how smart that lazy bastard really is.»

Akimi nodded. «And Yakushi-san is experienced... not to mention he knows our abilities. We must avoid him, I don't like him... at all. He is too kind. Gai's team also seems though.»

Shino closed his eyes. «Right, my females sneaked on a couple of Ame teams and o the one from Taki. Also a team of Kusa, but they look old...»

«Which means they tried a lot of times and probably have experience, but also that they couldn't make it. Let's keep it as a last resort.» Akimi reasoned.

«How long can they last?» asked Naruto instead.

«They are newborn females. If they manage to steal chakra to feed, even up to two days. I would say fourteen hours average.»

«That should be enough to track down at least one of them.» Akimi observed.

«Right. I suggest we wait until we enter the forest. Why do you ask? We will then hunt the nearest team...» Shino replied.

«I like the plan, dattebayo. I can't wait to fight.»

Akimi placed an hand on her forehead. «Oh, dear.»

«All right, everyone has got a scroll.» Anko shouted. «We'll begin in thirty minutes. Follow the chūnin to your starting gate. Once inside, you are on your own. You will stay in the forest for five days... and a last piece of advice...» she grinned wickedly. «Try not to die!»

* * *

**April, 13th 214 – Forest of Death, gate 14**

Akimi used the thirty minutes of respite to seal away their heaven scroll and hide it in her bra. Very effective hiding spot. Naruto actually got a funny face when she said it. Probably going somewhere with his perverted mind. Then she proceeded to create a decoy scroll and gave it to Naruto.

«It may come in handy.»

The blonde nodded. «What formation are we going to use?»

«'to-kun up on the front. You'll create six clones and have them surround us for protection. I'll take the middle, while Kaera scouts ahead. Shino will cover our rear with his Kikaichū and will also be providing direction to track the earth scrolls.»

«Hai.»

Naruto then said: «If we are engaged in a surprise attack, then we'll use the standard smoke escape. I will cover us with Kage Bunshins, giving us time to regroup and plan. If not possible, give them hell.»

Team 7 was accustomed to have Akimi do the long term plans and follow Naruto's orders instead in the mist of battle – unless he specifically asked for help. Shino was the reconnaissance specialist of the team. They all worked well together, so there was no really an official leader outside of Kakashi.

«Now!» came Anko's voice from nearby speakers. «Let the Second Chūnin Exams begin!»

As the gates swung open, more than twenty teams rushed forward. Some hesitantly walked in, as if they were afraid. Team 7 calmly strolled in, instead, their expression determined but relaxed. The forest looked as dark and as menacing as its name suggested.

Shino put his ear on the ground and closed his eyes. «The nearest one is a team from Ame, north-east.» he said. «The one from Kusa is farther, west from here. In that general direction there is the one from Taki and another from Ame as well. I feel other two teams approaching our position, probably the ones from the nearest gates.»

«The tower is north from here.» Akimi observed. «But I'll send Kaera to scout west for us. Just in case... We have a longer range of communication now.»

Naruto nodded and immediately formed Kage Bunshins to cover them, before leaping north-east.

Team 7 was very fast. Akimi and Naruto had trained with weights for years and had also introduced Shino to them after the formation of the team. Hence, the three had no qualms flying through the high trees of the forest of death, chasing their designed victims.

«My Kikaichū feel the presence of poisonous giant leeches half a kilometre forward.» Shino announced.

«Right or left then?» Naruto asked.

«Right for only few meters, on the left there is the liar of some giant spiders.» the Aburame answered.

They kept leaping tree from tree.

«How far away is our target?» Akimi enquired after a while.

«If we keep this pace up, we should catch up with them in five minutes or so.»

«Good.» she said.

«If we increase our speed we can go past them and ambush them.» Naruto said. «We are nearing the river, I can smell the water.» The blonde did have a very good sense of smelling.

Akimi focused chakra in her ears. «Yeah, I can hear it too.»

«It's logical. Ame-nin are often adept at Suiton.» Shino agreed. «We should stop them from reaching a water source. It could turn the battle in their favour.»

«We fought Zabuza and Haku, I doubt they could be much worse.» Naruto said. «Besides, I also know Suiton. However, it's best not to take a chance...»

«I agree as well.» Akimi concluded. «Let's speed up.»

Of course, they hadn't been using their maximum speed, because they wanted to be able to fight without problems, but they could afford to accelerate for the last short trait.

The three Konoha genins easily surpassed the Ame team, arriving in front of a large and menacing looking river, whose water almost looked black.

«Would that be potable?» wondered Naruto.

Akimi ignored him. «Shino, which direction are they coming from?»

«Four o'clock.»

«Naruto-kun, send clones to scout the terrain. We'll slowly made our way towards that direction as well. Same formation.»

The blonde send the clones he already created to the task. He had lots of chakra, but both Kakashi and Akimi had drilled him not to waste it for nothing. It was not infinite, after all.

«Mmm, there are no particular landmarks ahead. Only trees. What's the plan?» Naruto said. «They are coming, my clone saw them. The girl may be a genjutsu user, I didn't see any weapons on her. The other genin is a tad short, maybe a close ranged fighters from his muscles. Oh, and the last one had an umbrella. What's that supposed to do anyway?»

«Throwing device.» Akimi explained.

Naruto nodded. «Right, the quickest way to do this is using Kikaichū, this will also allows us to keep our energies... should we meet trouble on our way to the tower.»

«Ambush.» Shino curtly said. «If you use your smoke, Akimi, I can incapacitate the one carrying the scroll.»

She nodded. «Good, and I can also use Doton to block another, while Naruto-kun takes care of the last one. I can hold the jutsu up to... say two minutes, would that be enough?»

Shino smirked. «Plenty of time.»

«Right, Naruto-kun, can you provide a clone to stop them?»

«Sure thing, dattebayo!» he exclaimed.

So it went, Team 7 patiently waited for the unfortunate Ame team to cross their way.

«We should start hunting teams.» the shortest of them said, darkly.

«We'll follow the river towards the tower. The other teams are bound to come and look for water, then we can ambush them.» The taller, umbrella armed genin said, smirking.

«I say we go for one of the rookie teams.» the other said. «I don't know what those jōnin were thinking allowing them to...»

«I'm not sure about the others, but my sensei was only concerned about the poor fools we would meet.» Naruto jumped from a taller branch, halting their sprint. He waved. «Hello!»

«What? Who are you midget?» the shortest genin asked. «Are you crazy facing the three of us alone?»

«Sure, why not? You don't look like much.» Naruto shrugged. «I **can **defeat you alone...»

«I'll show you, brat!» the same genin shouted, enraged.

«... but then again, why should I?» Naruto concluded, disappearing with a small puff of smoke.

«What? How? Where did he go?» the umbrella wielder asked, warier.

«**Kemorekagure no Jutsu.» **Akimi whispered in that moment.

«What hell is this?» squealed the girl, seeing the dark, thick smoke descending towards them. It covered a very large area, making impossible to see beyond their nose. They soon discovered it also made difficult to breath, but luckily they did have re-breather with them. What they fail to notice, was the swarm of black insects going towards them.

«That's enough!» the umbrella wielder screamed, grabbing his weapon and rotating it around. He managed to create enough wind to disperse the smoke. Well, that and Akimi chose the moment to dispel the technique.

«Just wait until I find you!» the shortest genin screamed. «I will...» but he never finished the threat, collapsing on the ground.

«What the hell, Kuruka?» the girl asked. «What's wrong?» Then, she heard a hissing sound.

She immediately ducked, jumping on the ground, while a Fūma Shuriken sliced where her head was standing a second before.

«Just think,» the taunting voice of the blonde said in that moment, «we are rookies...wonder what could we do with a little more experience. Eh?»

«Damn you, bastards!» the umbrella wielding genin shouted. «Show yourself, coward!»

From his hiding spot, Naruto seethed. He a short temper anyway, but the only thing that infuriated him more quickly that calling him a coward, was someone insulting Akimi-chan. The last idiot who tried still had the sign of his feet on his ass, after he kicked him into the next millennium. Yeah, a wonderful story for another time.

«**Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu!**» Akimi screamed, yanking the girl underground, just as Naruto leaped towards the remaining genin.

«As you wish, loser.» Naruto shouted, going for a sweeping kick at the Ame nin's head. The boy ducked, but was hit from the invisible Fūton blade the blonde sent him.

Crying out in pain, the Ame genin jumped on an higher branch and threw his umbrella upwards.

«**Ninpou: Jouro Senbon!**» he exclaimed.

What looked like hundreds, if not thousands, of sharp looking senbon needles literally rained out down from the umbrella. Naruto realised that he could not dodge, for the range of the technique was to wide. «Damn it!» he shouted, starting a sequence of handseals. _"In this moments I'd love to be a quick as 'mi-chan with them..." _«**Fūton: Daitoppa!**» He shouted, hurling the jutsu forward. The strong blast of wind scattered the senbon and the umbrella away with a second to spare. Naruto didn't even give his enemy time to respite, jumping and punching him straight in the gut.

The Ame nin was so surprised his attack failed, he could not dodge or block him in time. He fell down from the three, right in front of a smirking Akimi. «Hello.» she said, smiling sweetly at him. «Goodbye.» and she kicked him in the face, knocking him out.

«Well, that was easy.» Naruto jumped down, immediately followed by Shino. «We'll tie them up. Why don't you hide the Earth Scroll and prepare a decoy for this one as well, mi-chan?»

«Sure thing.»

* * *

«What now?» asked Naruto, yawning, as they landed once again in front of the river.

«I suppose we could head to the tower.» Akimi said. «We can simply follow the river, Shino can help us avoid both enemy teams and the natural inhabitants of this lovely forest.»

«What about eliminating other teams? That would make things easier for us in the next exam.»

«It could – or it could wear us out too much. We ought to be careful...»

«What if we do take a pondered risk? If we meet a weak looking team we engage them and... Shino, your fine?» Naruto stopped his banter with Akimi at once, as he noticed the pale look on his teammate's face.

«That... Kusa team... my female was killed by a overwhelming chakra from one of them.» Shino touched his head, as if in pain. «It was even worse than... _Nami._»

Naruto and Akimi both gulped. «Where?» the girl asked.

«South-west from here.»

«Then we go north...» Naruto said. He may have been an energetic and reckless type most of the time, but even he was so stupid to face something _worse _than the Kyūbi. Just then Akimi cursed.

One thing you could be sure of with her... she only cursed when something was seriously bad or wrong.

«'mi-chan?»

«Kaera has found a giant snake south west. Kiba and Akamaru are fighting it... and are soundly losing.»

«How far?» Naruto asked, his eyes narrowing.

«Two-three kilometres.» Akimi looked at Shino. «Is it close to the chakra you felt?»

«Yes.» the Aburame said.

«Right, I'm sending Kaera to investigate right now.» Akimi said. «We know what we have to do. We drop our weights for this.»

«Yeah.» Naruto's face was a fierce mask of determination. «Those who break the rules are trash...»

«... but those who abandon their comrades are a worse than trash.» Shino concluded for him. «Make way, Akimi.»

As the three genin leaped away, Kakashi felt a mysterious sense of pride. He eye smiled at the memorial stone. _"Obito, sensei, you would be proud of those kids." _

* * *

«Akamaru!» Kiba shouted, as his beloved puppy was thrashed away from a violent swap of the huge snake's coil. «Damn!»

Nothing worked on the bloody thing, not even the Jūjin Bunshin [] and Gatsūga [] had scratched the ominous yellow reptile. Kiba had no choice but tried to escape, but he could not outran the slithering snake.

Akamaru whined in pain. Luckily he was only a severe bruise, nothing was broken. Kiba hurriedly swept the pup into his arm, dodging an attack from the snake's head for a millimetre. _"Shit, shit, shit... this thing is going to eat me in no time." _

It was with horror, in fact, that the young genin saw the coiled point of the snake's tail suddenly break out from the ground in front of him, blocking his way. Startled, Kiba tripped and fell. It was over. With a satisfying and somehow evil hiss, the huge snake prepared to attack and eat its prey.

As it dashed forward, though, something happened. Kiba saw a blur of movement arrive in front of him and recognised the black and red outfit of Akimi. The girl flashed through handseals under his surprised eyes, going so quick he could not make them out. _"Damn, I knew she was good, but this is so much better than Sasuke's!" _

«**Doton: Doryūheki no jutsu!**» shouted the girl, spitting a small trail of mud from her mouth. Kiba gaped._"What?"_. Just before the snake's head was about to clash with them a wall of solid dirt raised from the ground, about two meter tall, stopping it. The strength of the collision was enough to crack the wall.

The snake slid back, hissing in annoyance. He moved with less agility and speed, though, obviously dazed by the clash. Akimi jumped above the wall of earth, using chakra to propel herself. As she landed, her hands moved again.

«Come at me, you little head-shit.» she roared. «**Katon: Karyū Endan!» **

Kiba's eyes widened as the massive burst of flame left her mouth and formed a dragon head. Even more astonishing was Naruto's voice following hers, just before the blonde appeared beside her. «**Fūton: Namikadou!**»

The wave of wind was so strong that the intense feedback blew their hair back. The jutsu fuelled the fire attack of Akimi creating a hot, blazing inferno.

«Holy shit!» exclaimed Kiba.

«**Fūton/Katon: Toukai Konbo!**» shouted the two genin as the flames engulfed the snake that, being still confused from his concussion, could not dodge.

Akimi and Naruto stayed on guard, wary. As the smoke created by their attack cleared, the burned and now black corpse of the snake appeared... just before vanishing with a puff.

«What?» Naruto asked, surprised.

«Not good.» Akimi replied. «That was a summon...»

«Orochimaru.» Naruto had read about the Sannin. The three men were on a whole other level, no matter how talented his team was. «Bad.»

Shino had in the meantime landed near Kiba, helping him on his feet.

«How are you and Akamaru-kun, Kiba-san?» asked the girl, jumping near them.

«A little bruised, but with a little rest we should be fine... thank you, guys.» Kiba swallowed his pride. The close death call had really deflated his arrogance.

«What happened?» Shino asked. «Where are Haruno-san and Uchiha-san?»

«I'm not sure... we met a strange nin from Kusa. She separated us with a gust of wind.» Kiba massaged his head. «Then, I had been busying trying not to be eaten by that thing.»

«Akimi-chan?» Naruto asked.

The girl looked feint. «Such chakra...» she whispered. «The _Kusa _nin has paralysed your teammates with Killer Intent only. He asked for your scroll and then he destroyed it. Then he started taunting Uchiha-san about his brother and he snapped out of it, attacking. They are fighting right now. I'd say maximum five minutes from here, that direction.» she pointed west.

«Let's go then.»

«Naruto!» Akimi exclaimed. «It's Orochimaru! We can't possibly defeat him. And it's certainly not wise to jump into the such a fight without a plan.»

«They are my teammates!» Kiba protested. «They may be annoying, but they are my friends!»

«And what happened to all your nobility, Akimi?» Naruto thundered, before leaping away, followed by a shaky Kiba.

The girl cursed. «Damn, damn, damn! Will you ever learn to stop and _think_?» She looked at Shino. «I don't think Kikaichū will work on _this _enemy. Stay back, we'll need support after the fight. _Kai!_» and cancelling the weight/resistances seal that remained, she pursued that mad fight.

* * *

**Few minutes later...**

«Take Sakura to safety. I'll distract him... and hopefully Sasuke will get the hint and run as well» Naruto ordered. «You are hurt.»

Kiba didn't even think about protesting. This was not an idiotic dead last, but a serious and proud shinobi.

Apparently, Orochimaru had just shred the skin of the Kusa kunoichi, revealing his own pale, snake-like face on her body. It was both disgusting and terrifying.

«That has been entertaining, Sasuke-kun. Ku-ku-ku.» Orochimaru mocked. «But if you don't put a little effort into this, I'll have to kill you.»

Naruto braced himself, his hand on his shoulder, over the seal that contained his tantō. Then, he leaped, mentally calling out: "**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**"

Orochimaru was a little taken aback by the sudden appearance of a swarm of a blonde, tantō wielding genins. «I'll kick your ass, hebi-teme!»

The Sannin narrowed his slit-like yellow eyes. «And who are you, brat?»

«That doesn't matter.» Naruto shouted. «What matters is that you leave my comrades the fuck alone!» the mass of clones clashed down towards Orochimaru.

The elder ninja smirked. _"Maybe __**this **__will be entertaining." _ He thought, bending at impossible angles to avoid the quick swipes of Naruto's tantō. «Not bad, brat, but not good enough. **Sen'eijashu.**»

A dozen of snakes came out from his sleeves, biting and hissing around. Naruto didn't expect this, so several of his clones were easily destroyed. The other nin didn't even look bothered.

«Is this the best you can do, brat?» Orochimaru taunted.

«Damn it!» Naruto jumped back and used chakra flow to enhance his sword, using it to try and surprise Orochimaru. He smirked when one of his wind blades hit the man, severely hurting him, but his victory was short lived. Very short lived.

"_Mud?" _he thought. _"But he could use jutsu! That was not a simple Tsuchi Bunshin." _ His musing was interrupted by a violent punch in his guts, that send him flying towards Sasuke.

«You amuse me, brat. Maybe I shall choose you, instead.»

"_Choose me? What the hell does he mean?" _

Orochimaru smirked. «Or maybe I'll kill you before you become too much of a nuisance.» Then, somehow, his neck rushed forward, lengthening it in a very inhumanly way.

«Shit!» Naruto exclaimed, leaping back.

It was not use, because Orochimaru simply bended further his neck. Naruto, sweating, decided to try and attack as a defence. «**Fūton: Kaze Kunai!**» and he shot out several blades of wind.

Orochimaru chuckled evilly, easily avoiding the jutsu. «Interesting. You are indeed adept at using wind, are you not?»

Sasuke was watching with wide eyes the so called _dope _while he kept up with the _monster _who had easily defeated him. But he was a Uchiha! He was not about to be outclassed by that idiot of Naruto.

«**Katon: Housenka no Jutsu**!**» **Sasuke screamed, after flashing handseals. His eyes were red from his swirling Sharingan, but he could not match the Sannin's speed. The small fireball all missed, as did the shurikens he hid in them.

«Ah, so you join the fight, Sasuke-kun?» Orochimaru mocked. «How nice of you. You know, I wonder... why should I choose, after all?» His neck shot forward again, this time directed to Sasuke.

«Duck, teme!» exclaimed Naruto.

Sasuke wasn't stupid and was already trying to, but Orochimaru was tired of playing games. No matter where he jumped, the damn snake-like face followed him. «Argh!» he screamed as the Sannin bit him on the left shoulder. Sasuke registered a searing, hot pain all around his body, before falling back with a heavy thump as darkness took him.

Orochimaru chuckled. «Ku-ku-ku! Now it's your turn, brat!»

Naruto made to leap, but found he was bound by snakes that had shot out from the ground. _"When did he...?" _ He focused on Fūton chakra to get rid of them, but once he was free it was too late: the bastard was almost over him.

«**Doton: Doryū Engo no Jutsu!**»

Orochimaru stopped his sprint just in time to avoid collision with the small shield of earth that suddenly grew in front of Naruto. But then, Akimi shot out from the ground, her folded Fūma Shuriken on hand. She slashed at Orochimaru, who dodged easily.

«Oh, another joins the fight! How delightful. Ku-ku-ku.»

"_Damn it, he is playing us!" _Naruto realised. _"This is what Akimi meant..." _

Akimi unfolded the Shuriken with practiced ease, launching it forward. As Orochimaru shirked again, she used strings to manipulate the weapon, contemporarily activating the chakra flow on it. Orochimaru was very surprised to see the blazing Shuriken rotating back towards his main body, so much that the bloody thing did manage to slightly burn his clothes. _"The girl __**is **__good!" _he thought, returning his neck to normal size.

Akimi caught the Shuriken again, jumping back in a semi crouched position. She looked a little strained, but her breath was even.

«Interesting. You almost got me.» Orochimaru licked his lips. «Looks like Konoha bred some powerful genins this year.»

Akimi took a deep breath. _"Right, he is an S-rank nin. We may shine among genins, but we are clearly outclassed. Defeating him with taijutsu is impossible... and ninjutsu? It will be only a waste of chakra. And if I use my seals not even Naruto has enough chakra to paralyse him. Shit!" _she considered. _"Right, this is so not the time to over-think." _

«Are you scared, girlie?»

«Tsk. I've seen worse.»_ "Yeah, Kuroken's was probably worse. But he is very close. And nobody is here to help us." _

«Oh, you have got spirit as well!» Orochimaru exclaimed, delighted, before rushing at her with his neck.

«Damn, this is getting annoying.» Akimi exclaimed, flashing handseals. «**Doton: Doryū Dangan!» **she did not stop though, starting another series of them. «**Katon: Kouen Tora no jutsu!» **

Orochimaru was surprised. _"A combination jutsu by herself! How interesting." _He retreated his neck, ducking the earth projectile engulfed in flames at the last second by jumping in the air. He was surprised, though, to see the tiger shaped-flames follow him. Quickly, he used Kawarimi to escape.

Akimi was panting. _"Not good. My chakra is almost exhausted. I'll have to use the storage seal." _

«'mi-chan, behind you!» Naruto shouted.

The girl turned and parried a kick with the metal plate of her gloves with a second to spare. _"He is strong as well. Fuck!" _«You are good, ku-ku-ku, but you are also tired.»

She was. She had used three B-rank techniques and had pushed herself to the limit to reach Kiba and then chase him and Naruto to help them.

«Your movements are getting sloppy.» Orochimaru went for a punch to her unguarded stomach, again bending at an impossible angle. He hit squared his target. The only thing Akimi could do, was activate her protection seals, somehow absorbing some of the blow's force. She was, however, sent flying against a nearby tree.

«Damn.» she slowly raised, only to see the bloody man close on her. He was fast. He was ruthless. «I think I'll try with you first, girlie.» And his neck snapped forward once again.

Akimi eyes widened. _"I'm not letting him do whatever he wants to do." _«Kaiin» she whispered and as the sudden rush of chakra surged into her, sinuous lines of ink appeared on her face and shoulders. She had placed the tattoo of her chakra storage seal on the neck, so to have it hidden by her hair. With her newfound energy, Akimi crossed her fingers on the tiger seal. «**Hi no Tate!**» A complete dome of fire surrounded her. _"The simplest jutsu, if mastered, can save your life". _ Her grandfather once said.

Orochimaru eyes widened and he had to shred his body to save himself. His badly burned face was replaced a new one, as his skin became slippery almost like white mud. But damn, it hurt! «You little bitch!» he exclaimed. «**Sen'eijashu!**»

Akimi forced her body to roll over, so only one of the snake got her, biting her right forearm. Still, the bite caused her a numbing, painful feeling. _"Poison." _

Orochimaru smirked. «Now, you **will** stay still...» he murmured, darkly, preparing again to bite her. Then, he felt the killing intent. Surprised, he turned to see the blonde boy engulfed by an hissing, malign and orange chakra.

«**I'm going to fucking kill you!**»

«Naruto, don't!» Akimi shouted, coughing.

The blonde leaped at a very high velocity, almost double his usual and hit the nunkenin straight into the gut. He sent him flying, far from where Akimi was. The orange chakra surrounded him like a cloak, which formed a sort of tail behind him.

«**Don't you dare touch her, you bastard!»**

"_The Kyūbi brat!" _Orochimaru realised, raising slowly. _"Damn, luckily I failed to put the seal on him"_

«**Fūton: Namikadou!» **Naruto shouted, the jutsu overpowered by the demon's chakra. Orochimaru's eyes widened and he quickly went underground to save himself. _"I've got to stop him before ANBU are alerted... considering they may be already on my heels." _

He emerged from the ground, behind the blonde, his hands crossed in a strange looking seal. Purple chakra shined on his right fingers, similar to little flames, and he hold his wrist with the other hand. Naruto turned towards him, sneering, but this time Orochimaru was ready for him and he easily ducked a sweeping kick, before slamming his hand into his stomach.

The blonde's eyes widened. «**What did **you do?» he asked, feeling faint. He saw the Sannin's satisfied smirk, before he collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

Orochimaru looked over, seeing that the mysterious girl was also still... probably dead. His poison was very lethal, after all. «A pity. She did show great talent. Well, no matter, ku-ku-ku. At least I got Sasuke's-kun.» he said, as he disappeared into the ground with a last evil laugh.

And then everything was silent.

* * *

**JUTSU NOTES  
**

**Ninpou: Jouro Senbon**[Ninja art: Senbon Shower]: C rank, offensive, short-mid range, the user throws a special umbrella in the air, that releases a lethal "shower" of senbon, controlled by chakra, that therefore can cover a wide area in all directions.

**Doton: Doryūheki no jutsu **[Earth Release: Earth Style Wall Technique]: B rank, defensive, short range, the user splits mud with their mouth, making a very high wall of solidified mud in front of them.

**Fūton/Katon: Toukai Konbo **[Wind/Fire Release: Destruction Combo]**: **A (borderline S) rank, offensive, medium-long range, this devastating jutsu is created by the combination of two powerful B rank jutsu (the Karyū Endan and Namikadou), it unleashes a blazing hot inferno towards the opponent.

**Sen'eijashu **[Hidden Shadow Snake Hands]: C rank, offensive, short range. The techniques allows the user to shot snakes out from their sleeves, surprising the enemy in a taijutsu battle. The snake are very poisonous, making the techniques extremely tricky.

**Doton: Doryū Dangan **[Earth Release: Earth Flowing Bullet]: C rank, offensive, short-medium range, the user launches a medium sized earth bullet against the enemy. With higher control is possible to make the bullet bigger or even launch several of them.

**Katon: Kouen Tora no jutsu **[Fire Release: Flame Tiger Technique] B rank, offensive, medium to long range. The user shots fire with their mouth in the shape of a tiger, infusing it with their chakra. The tiger charges head on the opponent, but the user can control its movement a little, to surprise the enemy_. (secret jutsu of the Enkounkin, Akimi's clan)_

* * *

_So yes, cliff hanger. Please don't hate me... I usually hate when I found them in other stories as well, but they do have a certain appeals as a writer. Well, I hope the fight with Orochimaru was realistic. It was mostly needed to make Akimi and Naruto interact with team 8 (especially Sasuke and Sakura), not to mention create a little tension between them as well. _

_I hope the chapter showed as well the role Shino has in the team. He is the recon expert and it's becoming pretty good at it, hence why it was so easy for him to track down so many teams just after entering the forest. I'm not sure how exactly do female Kikaichū work in canon, but I assume that the more expert the Aburame is the more he can leave around or something like that. Also, while it's true that Akimi has Kaera, you must consider that the tiger is only one, while Shino has thousands of bugs, making him a much more deadly tracker/spy. _

_Also, I've been thinking about Shino signing a summoning scroll and I have got two solid possibilities: Kakashi's **ninken** (tracking, student/teacher bonding etc) or **butterflies, **now I know that sounds a little ridiculous, but trust me I've got a couple of nice idea for them and they implement very well with Shino's fighting style (plus they fly and they are insects). So, I'll put a pull on my profile page, vote there if you want... if not I'll decide on my own. _

_Same way I've been thinking about giving Shino an elemental affinity and training, it will be different from the classic techniques that other characters use, but you'll see. I'm also going to put a pull on my profile page about this. Go vote if you want. _

_Until next time..._

8


	14. Chap 13 What do you fight for?

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

_Author's note: Thanks to everyone for reading! _

_I know the title is a cliché and everything, but I already mentioned I suck at giving titles. So I could only come up with this... and well, it somehow fits. This is mostly a filler chapter anyway, describing the aftermath (especially the emotive one) of last chapter. And once again, it did turn out longer than I had planned, but well... _

_**The answer to the reviews are at the bottom.**.. they were too long to put up here. Sorry =) _

_I hope the chapter is up to standard. I'm glad you are still enjoying the story, it makes writing it a lot more fulfilling that it already is, for this reason I'll thank those of you that have add the story to favourites or that follow it, and a **very special big thanks to my reviewers** – again. Enjoy: _

**What do you fight for?**

Part of the forest was destroyed. No sound could be heard: the high amounts of chakra – evil chakra – had scared most animals away, even the biggest and meanest of them. The air was still filled with an electric, almost tangible, tension.

Then a sigh echoed around.

Akimi was now certain Orochimaru had really left and was not coming back any time soon. So, with a groan, she closed her fists, grasping dirt and grass. Her body was suddenly surrounded by a faint reddish aura. Luckily she had learnt how to use pure Katon chakra to burn off foreign agents from her body, but she wasn't proficient enough to destroy all the poison. She needed help. «Kaera-chan.» she murmured. «Get Shino.»

«Meow.»

Akimi slowly got on her knees, popping one of her pills into her mouth. She tried not to move her right arm, where feeling was slowly numbing away. She grimaced, using her ninja wire to knot a tight string below her shoulder. «This should slow the spreading of the poison off. Let's hope Shino gets here fast...» She felt as if a horde of buffalos had ran over her: apparently her chakra storage seal, albeit useful, did hurt a lot. _"I'm lucky I didn't get chakra burns... I need to refine them." _She thought, coughing, as she crawled towards Naruto.

«What did he do to you?» she asked to no one. «It was a seal, I believe.» Knowing she needed to check him out before the others arrived, she quickly unfastened his jacket and raised his shirt.

The seal was not visible, but felt off. Akimi forced a small amount of chakra in the boy's stomach, making it appear. _"The chakra flow is disrupted. Now, the only logical think would be a uneven seal placed upon the even one that holds the fox." _Kaera sent her the image of Orochimaru's hand, with the five purple fingers.

«I see.» Akimi muttered. «**Gogyō Fūin, **blast it. It's a damned A-rank one. I never attempted to do it, nor its counter, but it's worth a shot, isn't it?» she took a deep breath, calling forth all her chakra.

"_Work, work, work..." _she called forth five seals, hoping to get them right. _"Work!" _ «**Gogyō Kaiin!**» she shouted, without noticing that the chakra on her fingers was golden. She slammed her left hand into Naruto's stomach and the boy grunted even though he was unconscious.

Akimi coughed, exhausted, and almost fell over. She focused her senses... yeah, the flow was normal again. She felt a little pang of pride at her success, then she put Naruto's clothes in place and fed him a chakra pill. Just then, he felt Shino and the rest of Team 8 land before her.

«What the hell happened?» Kiba asked.

Akimi sighed, finally managing to get on her feet. «Orochimaru bit Uchiha-san, then attempted to do the same to me and Naruto-kun, but we managed to stop him. I must have pissed him off, because next thing he had a snake poison me – and it was deadly. He placed a seal on Naruto-kun, making him unconscious, but I took it off, so he should wake up soon. I was about to check on Uchiha-san but since you are here I...»

Sakura rushed to her and attempted to hit her. Key word: attempt. Shino stopped her with a lazy gesture, noticing Akimi was very tired and pale. Of course, he didn't need to. Sakura was no match for the other girl, even in a debilitated state. Akimi drew a kunai from her holster and swiftly pointed it at the pink haired girl neck. He noticed that her movements were slower and sloppier that usual, though.

«What is wrong with you, Sakura?» shouted Kiba.

«That's what I would also like to know.» Akimi hissed, her voice very cold.

«You... you let him hurt Sasuke-kun! Why didn't you stop him?»

Shino groaned, temped to slap her. SMACK! It was instead Akimi that promptly hit Sakura – and from the sound of it, it must have been a very strong one. He inwardly groaned: he wouldn't want to be in Sakura's shoes right now.

«Now listen to me, you little delusional **fan girl! **We didn't have to come here and save your sorry asses, but we did nevertheless because you are our comrades! And Kiba-san is actually a friend! So shut up and SUCK IT UP! At least we didn't tremble like the useless little coward you are.» Akimi shouted. She put more pressure on her kunai, almost wounding her. «The only reason I'm not going to knock you out it's because we'll have already enough problems carrying Naruto-kun and Uchiha-san. But you better be silent and don't do anything stupid, or I will do it, because I'm already having a bad enough day without your **fucking whining**.»

The other three kids were petrified – especially Sakura. Even Shino had never seen his teammate so enraged. _"Haruno-san is lucky Akimi is almost out of chakra, or she would now spot burning lesions instead." _

Akimi removed her kunai, before breaking in a long coughing attack. «Damn it!» she murmured.

«What's wrong?» Shino shouted, quickly appearing near her as she started to waver.

Kiba and Sakura gaped: they never thought they would hear the stoic Aburame shout. As if the day hadn't been appallingly extraordinary already.

«The poison.» she whispered.

«Lie down.» Shino ordered, helping her. «It comes from your right arm, correct?» He knew it was strange Akimi used her left one to threaten Sakura.

The girl nodded, as she felt a lot of small legs walking on her skin. «I burned most of it off, but...»

«Stay still. My Kikaichū will remove the rest.» Shino explained. «It will be a few minutes and we'll move as soon as they are finished. Haruno-san, you check on Uchiha-san in the meanwhile.»

Then he lowered his ear on the ground. «I don't feel any presences nearby» he said.

«This site will soon attire attention because of the battle. There is too much chakra around.» Akimi murmured, feeling already better. «We need to scout ahead for a suitable resting place.»

As she spoke, Kaera leaped away and Shino sent a swarm of insects out.

«And how is Uchiha-san?» concluded Akimi.

«He... he has an high fever.» answered Sakura, stuttering a little. «And a strange bruise on his neck.»

«That hebi bastard did bite him there.» Akimi confirmed. «I'll examine it better when we find a safe shelter, but I have a feeling only Hokage-sama would be able to do something about it... maybe.»

«You should be fine now.» Shino said. «We must get going.»

Akimi got up. She stumbled a little, but soon regained balance. «Yeah, I'm good.» she said. «The river is north-east from here, so I would avoid that direction.»

Shino nodded. «Logical. Many teams will make their way towards it for water.»

«And how do we plan on surviving?» Kiba asked.

«Sealed supplies. We have got enough for a month.» Akimi replied. «Each.»

The other two genins looked flabbergasted.

«Did you ever took this exam seriously?» Akimi sighed. «No matter. Kiba-san, are you all right?»

«Yes, the snake did only wear me out. I have some bruises too, but it's fine.»

«Can you carry, Uchiha-san?» Akimi enquired. «And take this.» she tossed him a pill.

The feral looking boy nodded, swallowing the pill. He trusted Akimi.

«Good then, take him. Shino, you get Naruto.»

«Hai.»

«I'll be in the front. Kiba-san behind me, then Shino. Haruno-san, you take the rear. You know how to leap on trees, right?»

«We aren't completely clueless, you know, Akimi.» Kiba replied, while Akamaru barked.

She raised her arms innocently. «Just making sure.»

* * *

**Later that evening, in a small shelter in the centre of the forest**

Teams 7 and 8 stopped after three hours of running, in front of a small, hidden alcove formed by huge tree roots. This time, Shino took charge, ordering Akimi to rest and Sakura to guard her and the unconscious genins, while he and Kiba placed traps all around. He surprised Kiba by using genjutsu-seals to conceal said traps.

When they returned, at sunset, Akimi drew a complex seal on the alcove, to conceal it, then made a perimeter seal around the area. She used her last reserves of chakra to activate them. Shino sat with his leg crossed and eye closed, listening to what his insects where telling him.

«Everything seems fine.» he finally said. «I don't feel anyone nearby.»

«Kaera can patrol for the night.» Akimi said. «But we need to set up turns of guards.»

The other boy nodded.

«For now, we need to recover.» she murmured, then raising her voice: «Kiba-san, come here, I want to check your bruises. And how is Akamaru-kun?»

The dog barked loudly. «He is fine, Akimi.»

«Mah, this pollute should be fine for animals as well. Better be safe.»

Akimi finished to tend Kiba's wounds and was about to seal back her first aid kit, when Shino stopped her, asking about the real extent of **her **injuries.

Sakura, who already felt a little humbled, realised how bad she screwed up when Akimi took off her coat and her shirt, remaining clad in the bandages that protected her breasts, to reveal purple bruises on her back and stomach. Kiba stared at her for a second, with big eyes, before Shino swatted him, ordering him to go on watch duty outside the alcove.

«The snake bastard hit hard.» Akimi explained, nonchalantly. «I'll need help to treat my back.»

«I-I... I'll do it, Katora-san.» Sakura said.

The black haired girl looked at her with narrowed eyes, then nodded. «Thank you.» she gave her a small bowl full of a white-grey cream. «Just spread this on my back. Massage carefully, like this...» she showed her by putting the balsam on her stomach. «Then I will put bandages around. By tomorrow, it should be much better.»

Few minutes later, Akimi put back on her clothes and checked Naruto and Sasuke again.

«He still has an high fever, but he is breathing steadily.» she explained to the other genins. «I can't figure out that mark of his... but I think it's a seal. Whatever is happening to him, it's affecting his whole chakra system. That's why I won't risk giving him a chakra pill. I've a very bad feeling about this.»

«What about Naruto?» asked Shino, concerned.

«Exhaustion. He overpowered his last jutsu. He'll be up in no time.» Akimi signalled to Shino she would explain better later on, and unzipped Naruto's jacket. «I think Orochimaru hit him as well.»

There was a purple bruise on him in fact, but it was somehow fainter than Akimi's. Sakura observed while the black haired girl took care of her teammate, despite her own injuries.

"_Useless little coward..." _Sakura thought. _"She was right. What did I do? I was there, paralysed with fear, because of Orochimaru's killing intent. But even if I wasn't, what could I do? I only know a couple of genjutsu... and the basics. And I nowhere as strong as Akimi is." _The bruises weren't the only thing Sakura noted about Akimi – the other girl was fit and muscled. She probably could hit as strong as Kiba, maybe even Sasuke... And Naruto? Since when was the blonde so developed? He had a six-pack, damn it! Her musings were interrupted by Shino's sharp voice.

«Here, Haruno-san.» he said, waving a scroll. «Help me prepare dinner.»

Akimi was about to turn Naruto to treat his back when she felt a subtle change in her Loyalty Seal, indicating he was awake. Not wanting him to react and try to slash her in defence, Akimi sent him a message. «_It's me, it's fine..._»

«'mi-chan?» Naruto babbled, his voice sleepy and confused.

«Relax and don't move» she said. «Orochimaru knocked you out. We are safe now. Team 8 is with us.»

Naruto immediately stopped, as he was about to speak about the Kyūbi. «_I used it again._» he sent through the seal, sadly.

«_You know, this time it was actually for the best. It did make Orochimaru escape, he probably was afraid it would alert ANBU.» _Akimi gently finished to massage his back, spreading the healing salve around. «Can you sit down, Naruto?»

«Yeah, I only feel a little dizzy.» the blonde raised, allowing Akimi to envelope him in bandages. She then passed him his muscle shirt, smiling. «What happen? How did he...?»

«He placed a uneven seal on you, disrupting your chakra flow.»

Naruto nodded. «Bastard.»

«I concur, but luckily I was able to dispel it.»

Naruto put on his jacket and smiled as well. «You are Konoha's future seals mistress, after all.» he placed a hand on her cheek. «Forgive me. I should have listened to you.»

«You should have.» she replied, evenly. «After all this time, you really thought I would have turned my back on them?»

Naruto lowered his head. «I should have know better. I was too impulsive.»

«You should always remember the power words have. Stop and think next time, maybe just for a few seconds.» Akimi stated. «Baka.»

«I'm sorry, I...» he said. His face suddenly fell. «The poison!» he shouted. «How are you?» he looked like he was about to panic – and was almost hyperventilating. «Is it...?»

Akimi placed an hand on his shoulder and smiled softly. «Fine. Katon purification, remember? Shino took care of the rest.»

Naruto sighed in relief and dropped down again on his bedroll. «Thank the kami.» he mumbled. «Thank the kami you are all right.»

Akimi spotted immediately the suspect looking shining in his eyes. _"Damn it, you make so difficult to be angry with you, 'to-kun!" _«Naruto...»

«I'm so sorry.» he murmured, hoarsely. «I won't do something like that again, I promise, Akimi-chan.»

«Get up.» she coldly ordered. «Look at me.»

Their gazes locked. Akimi could now clearly see the tears in his azure irises. She felt her own eyes water in response. They stayed silent for few moments. Then she nodded.

«You didn't do it to hurt me. I know you, Naruto. It will be fine. Just give me some time to digest it.» she kissed his chin, very near to his mouth. «Now let's go eat.»

* * *

Shino took the first turn of watching duty, Akimi the second. She knew that three hours of sleep would be enough to fill up her reserves. She also told Naruto to rest, because they were going to need their heavy hitter back in shape the next day.

«Akimi.» Shino softly called. «It's time.»

As they were in a forest full of potential enemies – humans and not – she hadn't been sleeping too deep, so she immediately woke up. «Thanks, Shino.» she murmured.

He beckoned her to follow him to the entrance of the alcove, far from the other sleeping genins. «Privacy.» he simply said.

Akimi simply traced a couple of symbols on the earth, making a seal in less than a minute. «Activate.» she commanded. «Done. What is it?»

«What really happened with Orochimaru?»

She sighed and sat on the ground, hugging her knees. «He could have killed us in the blink of an eye. It's not a nice sensation.»

The Aburame curtly nodded. «I know.» he said. «You were right. My Kikaichū would have not be effective against him. His chakra is too... evil, corrupted, wicked... you choose. They would have died. I felt...»

«... useless.» she finished for him. «But I guess it was to be expected. He is a Sannin, we are genins. Rookie genins.»

«Well, I suppose this can either make me depressed, or it can encourage me to train more. I won't depend only on my Kikaichū anymore.» Shino smiled a little. «I won't be a nuisance ever again.»

«You weren't.» she reassured him, sternly. «Without you I would still be poisoned – and we wouldn't have found this place nearly as easily as we did. Actually, don't catch me hearing you say that you are nuisance ever again. I may get angry.»

Shino hastily nodded. He still reminded Akimi's enraged outburst earlier that day. It was scary. «I won't.»

«Good.» Akimi smiled tiredly. «I'm worried about Naruto. He used _it _again.»

«Ah.» Shino replied. «He stills has an hard time about it?»

«He feels guilty. I guess that he wants to rely on his own strength only. But he did save me from being bitten, so... I'll have to talk to him again.»

Shino didn't answer immediately. «What's the difference from Wave?»

«This time he didn't stop on his own account.» Akimi whispered. «Orochimaru placed an uneven seal on him, knocking him out because of the sudden irregularity in the chakra flow. I think he is afraid he would not have stopped otherwise.»

Shino nodded, gravely. «Does his _main_ seal react to negative emotion then?»

«Probably yes.» Akimi shook her head. «I can't wait to be out of this place, honestly.»

«The fight yesterday affected you more than I initially thought.» Shino seriously said. «Are you all right?»

«Yes. I'm just bruised, really. I'll be like new in a couple of days...»

«But?»

«Emotion are running high. That fight brought up memories... memories I don't really like, nor wanted to recall.»

And Shino knew not to push her buttons. «Just don't stay up all night. Naruto will shout at you otherwise... and I don't want to hear it. Wake him up for the third turn.» he turned to get into the alcove. «Everything seems quiet, anyway.»

She nodded. «And if not, they will not find us unprepared. No genin team would be able to sneak up on us, with all the protections we set up. And if Orochimaru decided to come back...»

«... it wouldn't make a difference, right?» Shino nodded gravely. «Be careful»

* * *

Akimi was sat in front of the alcove, Kaera nested near her. Her eyes were lost in the darkness in front of her. Everything was quiet – if you bar the sudden unnatural screams that could be heard time to time. The forest was full of nocturnal predators.

Despite the fact that she was still shaken by the encounter with Orochimaru, Akimi was slowly regain her usual calm confidence. Speaking with Shino had also helped. _"The emergency is over." _she thought. She and Naruto were in good shape again – he was like new, actually – and with Shino unscratched she was confident Team 7 could defeat any team who dared attacked them, bar Gaara's one and maybe Rock Lee's.

Which was why Akimi felt she could spent time analysing the strange "ninja-card" Naruto had "borrowed" from Kabuto. The first thing she did, was channel chakra through the thing, she did so carefully, afraid there could be a sensor seal linked to a trap seal that would destroy the card if it senses foreign chakra. There wasn't. _"Mmm... that's curious. Putting a trap like that would be the logical thing do to for any expert seal user. It's very easy to add to the whole implant... Maybe Kabuto doesn't see sealing as an Art, but only as instrument. How foolish of him. Either that, or he is not creative." _

Akimi noticed her chakra simply did nothing to the card. No change could be seen. _"There is probably a genjutsu seal to hide the collected data __**and**__ all the seals on the card. So maybe even a double layer of them. Then there is of course a chakra sensor seal, that activates and deactivates the genjutsu." _The problem was to determine how to break down the seal. _"One thing is certain, if I try to break the main genjutsu forcedly, there is got to be a defence mechanism that deletes the info. So the thing I need to break is the chakra sensor seal. It will be difficult, especially considering the size of this card. Right, first thing I need to do, is to make the array of seals visible. Then I can start to study it. The genjutsu that protects the seals __**has **__to be separated from the main array. Logically, I would say that it's on the back of the card, with the main array being on the front, where the info appears." _

That determined, Akimi took off her ling and brush and started to draw on a piece of paper the rough draft of a chakra viewing seal, that basically forced ink into lines of chakra, making them visible. After she finished drawing it, she tilted her head to examine it. _"No, I need to modify it so that the part who pours ink is parallel to the chakra entrance symbol, and..." _

«Katora-san.»

Akimi raised her eyes, startled to see Sakura in front of her. The pink haired girl had a tentative expression on her face and her eyes looked taunted. Akimi glared at Kaera. Why didn't she warn her? Well, no matter. «Haruno-san.» Akimi nodded at her. «You haven't slept.»

«I... I have a lot on my mind.»

Akimi sighed. Sakura wasn't her friend, because, let's be frank, she hated her attitude. But maybe, just maybe, there was potential. And as Naruto often said, she was a softie deep down. «How so?»

«Yesterday... that man... Orochimaru... he almost killed us. We were hopeless...»

«Yeah.» Akimi nodded. «That's what I felt as well. He played with me and Naruto-kun, he could have killed us. I'm not sure why he chose to leave when he did, but it was **sheer **luck.»

«Yet you fought him. Why?»

Akimi sighed. «It's very difficult to explain.» she put down her brush, before untying her Hitai-ate and showing it to Sakura. «What do you see?»

«Err... your forehead protector?»

«That's the easy answer, Haruno-san.» Akimi smiled. «You are aware I use Fūinjutsu, right?. It is my favourite ninja art and I feel I will spend all my life trying to master its mysteries. What seals taught me is that words have power. A seal could be described as an arrays of certain symbols and kanji empowered by chakra. The smallest error in a stroke, can mess up entirely a seal. But you know, drawing symbols and empowering them is not enough... and what truly makes the difference between apprentice and master is _understanding. _There are many ways to say the same things, but for every different situation, one is best than another. So now I ask you, what do you see?»

«The symbol of Konoha.» Sakura said. «The symbol of our village.»

«Now, that is a better.» Akimi smiled more widely, nodding. «And now tell me, Haruno-san, why did you choose to become a kunoichi and wear this? What do you fight for? It's not family tradition, right?»

Sakura stopped to think. «When I was little, I was bullied a lot, because of my forehead.» she blushed. «Then once, Ino saved me. She was... strong. I wanted to be strong as well and I joined the Academy.»

«And Uchiha-san?»

«He... he is, I dunno, _strong_. His whole family died in front of his eyes and he is so cool and mysterious and...» she stopped. «Damn, why am I so swallow?»

«We are teen agers. Being superficial is almost a given. But you are also a kunoichi, Sakura-san.» Akimi softly said. «You need to act like one. You wanted to become a ninja because you wanted to never be bullied again... but did you considered what being a ninja really means? Do you understand that you have to kill and risk to be killed on every mission. Have _you _killed, Sakura-san?»

«No.»

«You are still so naive.» Akimi sighed. «When Kakashi-sensei first met us, he asked us to introduce ourselves. Likes, dislikes, hobbies, dreams for the future...»

«Kurenai-sensei did also.»

«How was your introduction like, then?»

«I like... Sasuke-kun. I dislike... Ino-pig and perverts. My hobbies are... reading, I guess? And my dream is...» she turned to look at Sasuke. «That's what I would have said. I guess maybe it's a little childish, so... I'm not sure anymore.»

«I like my friends and family, Kaera-chan, the village and fire.» Akimi stopped. «I dislike rudeness, disrespect, prejudices and those who use power to exploit, hurt and abuse others. My hobbies are reading, cooking with Naruto-kun and experimenting. My dreams for the future is to surpass my grandfather in the Art and to always be there to support and protect my precious people.»

Sakura bit her lips. «The Art is Fūinjutsu?»

«Yes.» Akimi smiled. «Now, turning back to your first question: why did I fight Orochimaru when I knew he could easily have killed me?» she scratched her head. «When we first felt his chakra, we only knew there was a very powerful and evil enemy in the forest. My first reaction was to head in the opposite direction, to safety. Then, Kaera told me Kiba-san was in danger. He is a friend and a comrade and I'm a proud genin of Konohagakure. So of course, I turned on my tracks and went to help him. As my teammates did.»

Sakura was looking at her in awe.

«Kaera had in the meantime reached you. After Naruto-kun and I killed the snake, we realised it was a summon – and who but Orochimaru can summon snakes? In that moment, two facts were clear: one, you and Uchiha-san, two of my _comrades _were in dangers. Two, Orochimaru was an enemy out of my league, a _Sannin_. What to do then? My instinct told me to run, but I knew better. I was trying to come up with a plan to allow us to escape him, but Naruto-kun is a little more reckless than me, so he ran straight away at you. So of course I followed.»

«How can you be so... brave?»

«Sakura-san, don't you remember what Morino-san taught us? What all the first exam was about? Maybe you should have raised your hand.»

«I was about to, but then Naruto inspired me. And I didn't want to disappoint Sasuke-kun and Kiba... they deserved a shot at this»

«Is there a point in having strength if then you don't know how to use it? Power for power's sake corrupts and destroys. My grandfather taught me this, a saying of my clan.» Akimi traced her forehead protector. «You want to know what I see? I see all the shinobi who gave up their life for this village, to protect those they loved. I see my family and friends and I see the fact that I need to be strong to protect them as well. This is the life I chose, this is what I'm going to do.»

Sakura was silent for a while. «I'm... useless. Had it not been for you, Kiba would be dead and I would be dragging an unconscious Sasuke-kun in this forest... and if someone founded me I would...»

Akimi sighed. _"It's not like I could really do something against Orochimaru..." _«Right. You have a good mastery of the basis, but you are still as thin as when I first met you. Do you train your body at all? Do you still _diet_?»

«Kurenai-sensei did beat me out of it.» Sakura sheepishly said. «She focused on my genjutsu, though, which is why I haven't worked on my taijutsu.»

«I had your chakra reserves when I was seven. You can't properly use ninjutsu. You need to boost your stamina and strength and speed before anything else. But on the other hand, your control is flawless. So yes, you are pretty much useless right now... Well, you know what I think? You can either cry about it, or suck it up and do something about it.»

Sakura nodded. «Do you... do you hate me, Akimi-san?»

The other girl laughed. «Why, of course not. I despise your behaviour, yes, but I don't hate you.»

«Could we... could we become friends one day? Could you help me become stronger? I don't want to be a burden and a nuisance anymore. I want to become a true ninja.»

«You have already started.» Akimi looked ahead, seeing that the night sky was starting to lighten. Dawn was coming. «Keep the determination up and you will be fine. I'm sure Yūhi-san will be more than happy to help you now that you have this new resolve. And now, I'm gonna wake Naruto-kun up and sleep a little. You should too.» she raised.

«Akimi-san?»

«Yes?»

«Are you and Naruto together?»

«Yes.» Akimi tilted her head. «Why do you ask?»

Sakura looked embarrassed. «I was curious I guess. I'm sorry if I offended you.»

«As long as you don't talk about it to the whole village. I like my privacy.»

«Sure thing! I also wanted to say I'm sorry, Akimi-san, I should have not tried to hit you.»

«You were in shock. And you are very obsessed with Uchiha-san. I get it really. I am myself a little protective sometimes.» Akimi shrugged. «Besides, I did point a kunai at your throat. So, let's call it even, uh?»

Sakura nodded, feeling relieved. «I'll try to sleep, then. Thank you for the chat.»

Akimi rubbed her chin. _"That has got to be the longest talk with a female my age I ever had. Besides the fact that the only woman I really know is Ayame. Maybe I do need some female friends... it was not that bad." _ and she smiled.

* * *

As soon as she was sure Sakura was sleeping, Akimi raised and approached Naruto. He lightly shook her boyfriend's shoulder. «'to-kun, wake up.»

The boy leaped on his feet in an instant. «Are we under attack?» he shouted.

«No.»

Shino tensed for a second, before going back to sleep. Akamaru opened one eye, then closed it and yawned, seeing nothing was wrong. Kiba groaned and turned on his back, snoring a little. Sakura sighed heavily, but otherwise remained still.

Naruto looked around, before ruffling his hair with a sheepish smile. «Whoops. I shouldn't have yelled, should I?»

Akimi grinned at his antics. «Probably not. Let's get outside.»

As they sat down on the privacy seal Akimi had drawn, Naruto yawned. «Why did you wake me up?»

«I figured you would be in prime conditions by now.» Akimi replied. «And I wouldn't mind some extra sleep really.»

Naruto smiled softly at her. «Then go rest.»

She didn't make to move, simply looking sharply at him in the dim light of the half moon that shone in the sky.

«'mi-chan? Are you all right?»

«Just bruised.» she automatically answered. Naruto raised a sceptical eyebrow at her. «And worried.»

«About?»

She turned, removing her gaze from him. «You.»

Naruto chuckled a little, but it was a bitter laughter. «Don't be. Of course, I almost had an heart attack when I thought _he _was going to kill you, but now we are fine.»

«What about...»

«I'm not proud I used it again, but I have to accept it. I'll get there – eventually.» Naruto sighed. «It's just that now is more real... it's not a onetime only thing anymore. It's scary.»

«If I close my eyes I keep seeing _that _evening. The feeling is the same. An opponent so powerful you aren't bigger than a fly next to him. Like... _Kuroken._»

«'mi-chan.»

«It all came back... but it's slowly getting away as well. I've seen the difference. This time I was at least able to _try _and fight. I didn't freeze in fear. I could do something, only... it wasn't _enough._» she explained, ranting a little. Naruto let her. «I was talking to Sakura-san before and I was telling her how I couldn't _not _fight Orochimaru, because I choose to become a kunoichi to make a difference, to fight injustice, to protect my friends and my new home, and I really believe that, but deep down I am also _so _scared!» her voice had gotten a desperate note on it.

«Akimi.» Naruto grasped her shoulder and made her face him again. «It's okay to be scared. I was also... I was afraid that my recklessness would result in your death. Maybe if I had waited we could have come up with a plan, who knows.»

She looked about to speak again.

«Ah.» Naruto stopped her, putting a finger on her lips. «My turn now.» She smiled a little. «What matters is that we are alive, we aren't hurt too much and we are able to see another day. We survived and we can get back on our feet, train like crazy and in a couple of years we'll be able to kick the Oro-teme's ass into next millennium. That Kuroken bastard too, if he is still alive. We'll do it, together... like we always did. I'll promise you, dattebayo! And I never back down on my word. Besides we have Shino and Kaka-sensei too now, don't we?»

Akimi nodded, feeling her eyes water a little. «You are right.» she whispered.

«Good, now that this is cleared... did you say you were talking to _Sakura_?» Naruto asked. «How did it happened? I thought you hated her guts.»

«I did.» Akimi replied, with a small smirk. «But after I bitch slapped her I felt a lot better. It's true what they say... you should always act on your feelings.»

«Bitch slapped?» Naruto pouted. «Damn it, why do I always miss the cool stuff?»

* * *

The sun had raised. Naruto let his comrades sleep even though daylight was now bright enough for them to move. Akimi had said it would be unlikely Sasuke would wake up any time soon and she would prefer not to move him again – unless it became necessary.

Besides, sleep would do both her and Team 8 a lot of good. Shino had woken up a little after dawn and was now sitting near him, in silence. A few insects flew around him time to time.

«Everything all right?» the Aburame asked eventually, seeing his pensive face.

«Worried.»

Shino repressed an amused snort. _"These two..." _ «About Akimi?»

«Yeah...»

«You know I had a very similar conversation with her earlier?»

«I didn't.» Naruto smiled. «But I probably should have imagined it, dattebayo.» he turned to look at her sleeping form. _"I really hope she doesn't get any nightmares again. Stupid Oro-teme" _

«She talked to you?»

«Hai.» Naruto shrugged. «I think we are both all right. We just need time to deal with everything. You?»

«Fine.» Shino sighed. «Just a little humbled... but I'll take this as an excuse to improve even more.»

«Now that's talking!» Naruto shouted. «We'll just need to train even more... and help each other even more.»

Shino did gave one single chuckled, which basically meant he was really having an heartfelt laughter, had he not been a stoic Aburame. «Yes. Why do you ask? I think you really rubbed off me. I wasn't this obsessed with training before meeting you.»

Naruto smirked. «You'll see... I'll eventually make a prankster out of you as well.»

«Do that and I will sic Akimi on your back.» Shino smirked back in a somehow sadistic way. «I don't know how she would like you "corrupting" me completely»

Naruto gulped. «Now, that would totally be excessive. I'll be a good boy, dattebayo!»

Shino chuckled again, softly. «And yet somehow I find difficult to believe it.»

The blonde laughed with him and then the two boys fell back into a comfortable silence, with Naruto turning to check on Akimi every few minutes – and Shino silently snickering at him each time.

A while later a sleepy Kiba, with Akamaru on tail, emerged from the alcove. «Ehi, guys!» he saluted, with a yawn.

«Inuzuka-san.»

«Ohi, Kiba!» Naruto jumped on his feet. «You fine?»

«Golden.» the Inuzuka gave a feral smile. «Thirsty for some action again. I need to kick some asses, otherwise I may get down...» Akamaru barked. «Yesterday was a close call.»

«Cheer up.» Naruto patted his back. «Nobody could have predicted you would need to face a gigantic summoned snake... or the Oro-teme. Had it not been for that I am sure you would have ruled the exams... up until you met us, anyway.»

«Kami, you are so full of yourself, Naruto!»

The blonde raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. «It's not arrogance if it's true.»

This time Shino did snorted, while Kiba looked very sceptical. Naruto pouted.

«Well, perhaps you are right.» Kiba sat down. «It was impressive the way you and Akimi dealt with that snake... and what I saw about your fight with Orochimaru as well.»

«I wouldn't really call impressive the second part.» Naruto seriously said. «It was luck, really.» he shivered, thinking about how close he and Akimi had been as well.

«You were outclassed.» Shino spoke up. «Yet one may consider impressive the fact that you still went there and fight instead to turn and fight.»

«One my call it impressively stupid as well.»

«Also impressively noble. It was the right thing to do.» They all turned to the entrance of the alcove. Akimi had woken up. «I hope I am not interrupting some kind of testosterone-only meeting...»

Naruto laughed and approached her. «Slept well?» he whispered, taking her hand

She nodded, smiling and squeezed back. They sat down again.

«How long have you been eavesdropping?» asked Shino, surprising Kiba with what he thought was a teasing – _"Shino... teasing?" _– hint on his voice.

«I wasn't eavesdropping.» Akimi said, offended. «You woke me up with your talking. Not my fault you didn't use the privacy seal I've drawn.»

«You didn't use ink. It faded an hour ago.» Naruto said.

«Oh, yeah, and you don't know how to draw it, do you?»

«Fair enough.»

«Anyway I only heard the last part, starting with Shino's comment. As he should know, considering his Kikaichū are flying around.»

«Nothing escapes you ever alert gaze, uh?» Shino muttered. «That's getting annoying.»

«Now, you don't really mean that, Shino-chan.» Akimi smirked. «I may get the wrong idea.»

Naruto burst into laughter.

Shino shivered, but didn't show it. «I didn't really meant that.»

«I know.» Akimi tilted her head. «Something wrong, Kiba-san?»

Kiba was gaping at them. _"They look so relaxed with each other. Wow... I never thought I would see Shino like... well, this." _

«No» he quickly said. «I was only... well, thinking.»

«And does your brain hurt?» asked Naruto with mock concern. «Don't worry you eventually get used to it.»

Akimi swatted him. «Baka!» she exclaimed. «What about, Kiba-san?»

«Lot of things. I think I need some major training once we get out from this forest... and the Exam finishes.» Kiba smiled his feral smile and Akamaru barked. «I can't let you surpass me like that, Naruto.»

The blonde laughed. «I'll look forward to spar with you when the time comes, but I will still kick your—» he was interrupted by a loud growling... from his stomach. «Whoops.»

«And this calls for breakfast!» Akimi exclaimed. «I'll get the scrolls and wake Sakura-san up.»

«Sakura-san?» Shino asked. «I thought she was "Haruno-san". When did this happen?»

«Apparently this place brings forward very touching moments and confessions.» Naruto seriously said. He nodded to himself. «Must be the dark trees around and the menacing sounds all around... It's just cosy.»

Kiba looked at him, gaping. «Are you serious?» he turned to Shino. «Is he serious?»

Shino nodded gravely. «Sadly, yes.»

«Get your ass moving!» Akimi's voice shouted from the alcove in that moment. «Sakura-san and I will **not **be doing everything just because we are woman. You want to eat, work for it!»

The three boys looked at each other, then ran into the alcove at once. They all knew it was best not to annoy Akimi too much, after all.

* * *

**April, 14th 214 – Mild morning**

«Uchiha-san has still an high fever.» Akimi stated. «The safest course of action would head to the tower and require help. Of course, it will also mean that you forfeit, Team 8.»

«What about you?» asked Kiba.

«We already have the scrolls.» Shino said as stoic as usual.

«What? You mean to tell me that you tracked them down so easily?»

«Exactly.» Shino replied, as a matter of a fact.

Naruto smirked and Akimi smiled in amusement, while the Inuzuka just gaped at Team 7... again. _"They really are something else." _

Sakura spoke up then. «It's up to Kiba really, I don't think I'm fit to be a chūnin, anyway. Not yet.»

Kiba and Naruto both looked surprised at this. _"Well, I must handle it to 'mi-chan, she has really a way to make people get their head out of their asses." _The blonde thought.

«I would like a chance, yes. Probably Sasuke as well.» Kiba replied, while Akamaru barked.

«Then we shall hunt down two teams and find you a set of scrolls.» Akimi said. «Since Uchiha-san freely gave your Heaven Scroll to Orochimaru.»

«Stupid teme.» Naruto mumbled. «Shino, can you still track some Earth Scrolls?»

«There a Ame's team nearby. It's actually in the direction of the tower.»

«They probably set up an ambush, then.» Akimi said. «We could go for them. Of course, I think it would be prudent to wait until he wakes up.» she indicated the unconscious boy. «So I'll send Kaera to track and keep tabs on this Ame team. Shino, send Kikaichū around to scout for other teams.»

«I'll shall send some clones as well.» Naruto said, while at least a dozen copies of him appeared from nothing.

«What kind of technique is that, Naruto-san?» Sakura asked.

Naruto blinked. Did Sakura just called him san? Weird. «Kage Bunshin. They are solid clones whose memories I get. Great for exploring.»

Sakura's eyes widened. _"No, he is not the dead last anymore." _

«Wait a second.» Shino said. «Someone is coming...»

* * *

**JUTSU NOTES **

**Gogyō Fūin: **[Five Elements Seal]: A rank, supplementary, short range; this techniques produces a seal that disrupts or block the chakra flow in an opponent. Once the seal is complete it may even cause unconsciousness for a short while.

**Gogyō Kaiin [**Five Elements Unseal] A rank, supplementary, short range, this techniques is the exact counter of the Five Elements Seal and it's obviously used to removed it.

_Akimi's Katon manipulation as "antidote": first thing, she has studied and practiced fire manipulation for years. She has probably got one of the best mastery over Katon in all Konoha, but she lacks the stamina/experience to back this fact up. I also mentioned in another chapter that she now practices diffusing a small aura of Katon chakra all around her body... it's a training method similar to the Hyūga's one that eventually results in Kaiten (although she won't have a technique like that ever). So basically Akimi can send fire manipulated chakra all around her body... and use it to destroy foreign agents in her blood stream, for example. She can't do it with an 100% precision though, mainly because she risks to get burned otherwise. This abilities will eventually develop in a specific high ranked technique, but for now is nameless. _

_Shino's Kikaichū as "antidote": so I obviously got inspiration from Shibi (Shino's father) removing the poison from Shino in the Shino vs. Kankurō canon fight during the invasion. I'm not sure in canon this works only on Aburame clan's members, but let's assume that this techniques works for everyone in my fic. After all it sounds to me very similar to certain medieval medical techniques that used leeches to drain blood and remove infections and the like (or something like it, I don't remember exactly right now), so it seems likely. _

_Team 7 also got wary of poisons after their fight with the Demon Brothers and this explains why they have thoroughly looked for a way to counter poison. (And it also gives Shino a key support role on the team). _

* * *

_**Review answers: (sorry they finished up **this **long) **_

**Guest****: **_very interesting suggestions. I particularly liked the one about cloning Kikaichū. I'm definitely thinking of implementing it into the story. About lighting, I had initially excluded it because its destructive nature could (or should) be harmful for the Kikaichū, but the thing about shocking an opponent is very appealing. Now, I'm strongly considering giving him this affinity instead of the one I initially thought of. Thank you for reviewing! (About slugs: they seem to be more oriented towards medical ninjutsu, so I'm not sure they would fit with Shino... or if Tsunade would let him sign, for that matter)_

_**Wizardmon0073**__**: **__thank you very much for reviewing. I'm glad you enjoyed Team 7 dynamics and that I was able to integrate Shino well with Akimi and Naruto (even though Shino remains only a very major supporting character). The story is about a "destructive duo" after all. About Akimi's and Naruto fight, I've put a note at the bottom of the chapter. You also made some excellent points: _

_**1) Shino and summoning:**__I perfectly agree with you, in fact I wasn't sure about giving Shino a contract because I assume he would use all his chakra to maintain the symbiosis with the Kikaichū, but the realisation that there are certain enemies (namely Orochimaru, tailed beasts and those who posses very corrupted chakra) that cannot be defeated with his insects will make him look for some alternative solution. I suppose that each Aburame is given __**one **__hive at birth and as their body and chakra reserves mature, they receive more hives (and eventually gourds etc). Shino will choose to develop extra abilities instead, but his chakra levels will never make him a powerhouse like Naruto and in any case his summoning technique _**will **_not have a_ _gigantic boss like Gamabunta, Manda or Katsuyu, on the contrary he will only summon small/medium creatures anyway. _

_**2) Ninja and Nobility**Like you said the equation doesn't seem right and I wanted to explain better what I believe about it. I am very aware of the contraposition between shinobi (shadow) and samurai (light). Ninja sneaks, kills etc. etc. I tried to show the darker side of the profession in earlier chapter (namely Nami), but both Akimi and Naruto have a very idealist view of "being a ninja". Naruto because it's in his nature, as in canon, he hates killing and he still a little naive at times, he will eventually come to agree with Jiraiya about "peace" (like in canon). Akimi didn't grew up in Konoha and her grandfather instilled into her a very strict sense of right and wrong, resulting in the fact that she would not hesitate to kill, especially in front of meaningless evil/abuse (like Gatō) and the belief that she is to use her powers to help those who cannot protect themselves. When she arrived in Konoha she was positively impressed by the Third and his "Will of Fire" and especially by Kakashi and his fierce protectiveness of teammates. The duo will have to deal with the darkest side of the ninja world in future, but for now they are (and they probably will remain) a sort of "noble" ninja. _

_**3) Akimi and Naruto "fight"**__: __well, I think that their confrontation before facing Orochimaru is more a conflict that an all out fight. So they are basically fine now, like you_ _said it would be very unlikely for them to stay days (and chapters) without talking/or very angry with each other. Naruto feels guilty, Akimi knows it, she has forgiven him and he will still try to make it up to her. Also, like in canon Naruto is one to learn through experience, in a trial and error way. This "mistake" was necessary to make him realise what the consequence of recklessness is. Besides, Akimi still depends only on Naruto to reveal her deepest fear(s), as it was shown when she didn't really speak about it with Shino, but didn't hesitate ranting to Naruto. _

_Also, I hope the forgiveness didn't seem like it came too early or too easily. Although this is partly and objectively true, the two of them have depended on each other for years. Before meeting Akimi, Naruto had basically next to nothing. Before meeting Naruto, Akimi had lost everything and was very much on the edge of desperation. She didn't know what to do with her future. What they built in the next two years was a solid friendship (that then matured in love) and they are not about to waste/ruin it for **one **single fight. Hence the easy forgiveness. _

_I hope the scenes I wrote and this explanation convey my thoughts about the "fight" and also Naruto and Akimi's relationship in general. _

**shadowmarialove****: **_I hope that is a positive exclamation! _ _ Thank you for reading and reviewing. _

**Neo Amon****: **_thank you very much for reviewing. I'll look forward to see what your theory about Loyalty Seal is, but I have to warn you that it will have a very slow development. In fact it will not be really mentioned for a lot of chapters... _

_**About the one tailed mode:**well Naruto has a much more stable ground and therefore can withstand Kyūbi's influence more, like you said. He was able to use jutsu because his fighting style is very different from canon and basically makes him a very proficient ninjutsu user/powerhouse. (In canon he only knows Kage Bunshin up to the Chūnin Exams) In fact, even thought he was able to use a techniques, he did hurl it without reasoning, going for the most powerful one his arsenal (Fūton: Namikadou is a B rank), which I believe isn't that different from when he goes throwing Rasengan around without thinking in canon. _

**Naginator****: **_thank you. Actually I immediately excluded the possibility of giving either of them a cursed seal... besides it wouldn't fit with the plot of this fanfinction. The fact the snake __**tried **__though will be fairly significant. _

* * *

_So, cliff hanger again, sorry about this. I'll let you wonder about who exactly is approaching Team 7 and 8... I'll try to update soon thought, but I need time to catch up with writing the preliminary matches and that is somehow a drag. (I'm becoming too similar to Shikamaru for my own good, especially considering that I only have a normal IQ...) _

_Also if you have forgotten, Kuroken is the "nice" man who killed Akimi's grandfather and whole clan. He will come back to visit in the future, you'll see. _

_I'm sorry if Shino seemed a little OOC, but well I think that he could have not spent months with Akimi and Naruto without getting a little out of his shell... even though he still remains a stoic Aburame at hearth. _

_I hope my kilometric notes didn't bore you too much (if you had the stomach to read them). Until next time..._

10


	15. Chap14 Skirmishes in the Forest of Death

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

_Author's note: Thanks to everyone for reading! **Answers to the reviews are at the bottom**. _

_So, I'm an idiot and I didn't understand how polls worked. But now there should be the one with Shino's elements on, so go answer if you want.  
_

_Once again, I am not completely happy with the title of the chapter. Well, it's like my curse. I hate giving titles... well, hope you don't mind too much. Please enjoy the chapter: _

**Skirmishes in the Forest of Death**

«Wait a second.» Shino said. «Someone is coming...»

They all tensed. Sakura looked a little scared, Kiba seemed almost eager. Naruto and Akimi dropped in a defensive stance, while Shino simply put his hands out of his pockets.

Naruto frowned «I thought you put a genjutsu around, 'mi-chan.».

«I was exhausted. And the illusion mainly hits the eye. Someone could have tracked us with smell or hearing.» Akimi took out her Fūma Shuriken. «Unknown enemy. You know the drill.»

«Hai.» Naruto said. «Kiba, Sakura, please retreat and protect Sasuke. Shino, hide in the trees, I'm sure you can find and exploit any openings, eh?»

Shino smirked, disappearing. Sakura and a little reluctant Kiba did as told, because the determined look into the blonde's eyes didn't leave room for protests. Naruto was a natural charismatic leader when he really wanted. He had shown that ability during the First Exam as well.

Naruto and Akimi got closer, in a position that clearly had the benefit to protect each other back. The Shadow Clones Naruto had created stood in front of them, protectively.

Then, three genins appeared from nothingness. They glared at the Konoha's teams menacingly. The most noticeable thing about them was their curious headband, which carried the symbol of a musical note. The one in the middle had his face almost entirely covered by bandages and only his left eye could be seen. He wore a scarf whose pattern resembled a snake, as did his teammates, and a strange straw raincoat. He stepped forward, showing his shoulder were hunched down. «I'm surprised you felt us arrived.»

«And I'm surprised you tracked us here.» Naruto replied, smirking when he felt Akimi's message: they were the one spying on them when they first met Gaara's team. «So this time you decided to join the fight, instead to stay hidden and watch?»

The other genin tensed imperceptibly, while the other male of the team frowned. «How did you know we were there?»

«You know, you should learn to mask your chakra better if you wish to play little spies for whatever reason.» Naruto taunted. «What do you want, losers?»

The insult obviously flustered the three Oto genins and the male on the right moved as if he wanted to attack them.

«Wait, Zaku.» The leader managed to control himself. «We are not here for you. We want to fight Sasuke-kun... Can you wake him up?»

From her position, Sakura tensed. Kiba looked at her. «Don't worry. I doubt they can get past those two... and if they did they would still have to face us and Shino.»

«As you said, Sasuke is sleeping. You can leave any message to us, right before we kick your asses into next week.» Naruto said, cheerfully, while Akimi smirked and winked at them.

«We have no reason to fight you.» the leader said. «We don't want your scroll, nor we wish to attack you. What we want is Sasuke-kun, so step aside and we shall not harm you.»

«How were the words, 'mi-chan?» Naruto chuckled. «A dog who barks, is a dog who doesn't bite... and no offence to Akamaru.»

The white puppy barked happily.

«Dosu, just let me... I will kill them... and Sasuke as well.»

«Fine.» Dosu, the leader, said. «Let's go.»

Naruto simply nodded at his clones.

As the Sound trio leaped towards them, the Kage Bunshin moved to intercept them.

«This is pathetic!» Zaku said. «Do you really think Bunshins are enough to...» he stopped his ranting when one the clones punched him in the guts, using Fūton chakra to boost his strength, and knocking the air out of him. The boy was sent flying back.

«What about... yes?» Naruto smirked.

The girl immediately stopped her advance, taking out some senbon. Dosu moved his right arm, which was covered by a strange device full of small holes. Then, just like that, out of the clones popped out of existence. Only one remained, but froze because of the "death" of the others and was taken out by flying senbon.

«What the fuck happened?» Naruto asked, surprised.

«Mmm.» Akimi tilted her head. «Buy time for now.»

Naruto crossed his fingers: «**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**» This time at least two dozen of clones appeared. «Go!»

Dosu smirked. «It's not going to work, brat!» and he moved his gauntleted arm again. Akimi focused on that moment. Nothing seemed to happen, but half of the clones were nevertheless dispelled.

"_An invisible attack... wind perhaps?" _ The girl pondered, flicking her left hand ever so slightly she threw a dozen of shuriken at Dosu. «What is your clone feedback?» she casually asked.

«Dizziness, blurred vision maybe...» Naruto was confused. His puzzlement grew when the boy simply waved off the metal weapons as well. «Go quicker this time!» he shouted at the remaining clones.

«You bastard, I'm going to show you!» Zaku shouted in that moment, pushing forward his arms. «**Zankūha!**» The attack caused a powerful burst of air to travel very quickly towards the remaining clones, utterly destroying them.

«Remember, brats, you asked for this!» taunted Dosu, rushing forward. «You can't stop us!»

«Could it be so simple?» Akimi wondered. «Have you no imagination at all?»

«What do you mean?» Dosu frowned, glaring at the girl. «You have no talent, you really need to work harder.»

«They are using sound.» Akimi said to Naruto. «The hot-headed boy over there...» she indicated Zaku. «His attack looked really like a Fūton, but the effects were not cutting, but blasting, so I would guess air pressure? Mmm... and this other idiot in the front, he moves his arms, creating invisible attacks. Since his gauntlet is holed it's probably an amplifier, I reckon he uses sound. Ears are very sensible and fundamental for balance, so it harming them would indeed cause sickness. Of course I would have never have guessed had it been for their Hitai-ate.»

The Sound trio gaped.

«Ah, yes. I'll need a couple of minutes, 'to-kun. Keep them busy and avoid close contact. Do you remember the first seal I ever showed you?»

Naruto chuckled. «Nice, your nerd tendencies come in handy.» he said, making his tantō pop in his hand. «**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**»

«You can't keep going forever, blondie. Don't you get that it's hopeless?» Dosu taunted, preparing to use his Melody Arm. «You can't defend against Sound, even if the little whore figured us out.»

All seven Narutos growled. From his place in the shade of the trees, Shino shook his head. _"Fool" _

«Let's see what is quicker, fucker!» the real one snarled, flashing handseals. «Sound or wind – **Fūton: Kaze no Ame!**» Thing was, also all the other clones did the same. Nothing seemed to happen.

Dosu almost chuckled, before hearing the hissing sound of the invisible needles. «Get back!» he shouted, moving his arm to create a shield.

The girl did so, but Zaku simply smirked. «**Zankūha!**» he shouted. The blast of pressurised air did deflect the air needles, but right towards Dosu.

«Shit!» he screamed, jumping to avoid the needles... and finishing right into a clone grip. Eyes widening, Dosu was attacked by other three Narutos, each one punching and slashing with their tantō. He screamed in pain.

«Damn it, Dosu!» the girl shouted, sending senbon at them. Her aim was very true, because she hit the clone who was holding her teammate and two of the attackers.

Dosu quickly took care of the third, landing on the ground. «Thanks, Kin.» he panted, bleeding profusely from his wounds. He had a deep cut in his left shoulder and several smaller ones all around his body. «You are going to pay for this, blondie.»

«And you should never, **never **insult Akimi-chan!» Naruto spat back. «**Fūton: Daitoppa!**» he and the others two shouted.

Dosu eyes widened again and he jumped back several yards, landing near Kin. «Zaku, go at it!»

«**Zankūkyokuha**!» the other boy shouted, this time creating a _massive _air burst. So massive, in fact, that it clashed right into the tree combined jutsu of Naruto, effectively stopping them. The blonde was actually impressed, and covered his eyes with an arm against the flashing explosion the collision caused. When the smoke cleared, Zaku was painting a little and both him and his teammates were now wary of the two genins.

«I'm still waiting for ya!» Naruto shouted. «Would you like a respite? Cause I may enjoy a little snack in the meantime.»

«You... you bastard!» Dosu yelled back. «I'm going to fucking kill you!»

«Wait a sec, where is the girl?» Kin asked, with an unconscious shiver of fear.

«She probably ran away in fear.» Zaku smirked.

Naruto smirked. «Maybe she was bored.» he observed. «Don't worry, though, I'll keep you entertained...» Four clones popped out of existence, again, charging the Sound genins.

«How much stamina does the kid have, damn it?» Dosu shouted. «Kin, Zaku, you get these!»

"_So he is a close ranged fighter." _Naruto though. _"The girl is probably a long ranged, and I'd say the other one is mid/close... Fair enough, if I distract them, 'mi-chan will have a clean shot." _

Zaku chuckled. «Don't bother, Kin, I can take care of this alone. «**Zankūha**!»

«Jump!» the true Naruto shouted.

The four clones did so, easily avoiding the blasts, that dispersed before reaching the original. Kin chose that moment to join the fight, firing a swarm of senbon at the blondes.

«Nice!» one said, creating a blast of wind with his tantō to deflect most of them. «And now, let's party!» the four clones attacked in tandem, using wind to lengthen their range.

Dosu cursed, waving his gauntlet around. But the clones were keeping their distance from him, focusing on Kin instead, while one was taunting Zaku and avoiding his hair blasts. Then, he heard something. He jumped just in time to avoid being hit by Akimi, who spurted out of the ground below him.

«Hello!» she greeted, her closed Fūma Shuriken in hand. She fluidly swept a slash at the bandaged boy, who smirked.

«Are you suicidal?» He easily blocked the hit with his right arm, at the same time emitting an amplified wave of sound.

«Well, I'm allowed to be.» Akimi smirked and as she was hit, she melted away, revealing a Tsuchi Bunshin.

Dosu eyes widened. «What? Does none of you have the balls to attack us directly?»

«Why would we?» A Naruto clone shouted, managing to cut Kin with his wind chakra «That would be stupid.»

«And I actually think it's granted I don't have balls.» Akimi said, from above a tree behind the Oto genins. «I'm a lady, after all. _Activate._»

«What?» Dosu looked at her, surprised. «What did she do?»

«Probably nothing! She is only trying to confuse us!» Zaku said, after managing to land a blow on the clone who was bugging him. «Die, you bitch! **Zankūha!**»

«You have no originality.» Akimi said, sighing. She easily avoid the blast, jumping down. She crossed her fingers. «Time to finish this. **Katon: Goukakyuu!**»

«Ahahaha, I'll blow that off! **Zankūha!**» Zaku did managed to cancel the flames, but what did not expect was the cloud of swarming black insects descending on him... just before his chakra started to be forcefully stolen. He gaped and Akimi rushed at him, hitting him right into the guts. Her blow was weaker than the blonde's, but still hurtful. And it stung. Zaku fell down, holding his burned stomach and feeling exhaust.

«Great timing, Shino!» Akimi shouted, deflecting a volley of senbon with her closed Fūma Shuriken, then she opened it with a flick of her wrist and she tossed it at the girl, while she lounged at Dosu. Naruto was also charging from his position. It would soon be finished.

«Are you going to try again, girlie?» he taunted. As she closed onto him, he waved his arm, smirking widely. Only... nothing happened.

«What?» Dosu's eyes bulged out, but he managed to regain his bearings in time to dodge Akimi's blow.

«Not so confident, now, are we?» Akimi mocked him, relentlessly attacking him.

Her Taijutsu was obviously superior. Dosu's pride prevented him to ask his teammates for help, but it would anyway serve no purpose. The true Naruto had reached Kin, easily knocking her out. Zaku was not getting up any time soon, courtesy of Shino's Kikaichū and so he joined Akimi.

The destructive duo was quick to soundly kick Dosu's ass. As Naruto jerked him away with a forceful blow at his crotch, Akimi leaped over him, holding a kunai to his throat. She almost looked like a tiger. «Is this hard enough for you, Dosu-san?» she asked, smiling widely.

The boy groaned and looked over, seeing Naruto smirking at him, his arm crossed.

«Have mercy.» he stuttered, even if the words almost wounded him physically.

Akimi raised an eyebrow. «Why should we?»

«The scroll... I'll give you our scroll... we are beaten.»

«Fair enough.» Naruto said. «And why did you want to fight Sasuke, uh?»

«We... heard... he was the rookie of... the year and the... last Uchiha. We wanted to... try ourselves confronting him.»

«Is that so?» Akimi tilted her head, looking intently at him. «In that case, you may want to know that I was the rookie of the year. Not that I care for the title, anyway. We'll let you go, now, but...»

«... cross us again and we won't think twice about killing you.» Naruto darkly said. «And if I were you, I would not attack a Konoha team again. If you hurt our friends, we'll find you...»

«... and we'll kill you.» Akimi concluded for him. «And remember, arrogance is right before the fall.» She released the boy, holding out an hand.

Dosu shivered, giving her a Heaven Scroll. «Thank you.» he stammered, before taking each of his teammates under an arm and leaping away, albeit shakily.

«That was fun.» Naruto said, crossing his arms behind his head. «_But he was lying_.» using ANBU signals.

«_Send a clone after them_.» Akimi replied the same way. «_Make sure he stays hidden and listens to them. We'll discover more now that they think we aren't suspicious of them.»_

Naruto nodded and crossed his fingers, nodding. «Let's hope that letting them go wasn't a stupid thing.»

Akimi shrugged. «Why? I believe they are competent enough to pass to the next stage. If so, we know their abilities and can easily stop them again. We didn't show off all our skills, after all. And they will eliminate other two teams, which is good. It's a win-win.»

* * *

**Back to the shelter in the alcove...**

Shino jumped down in front of Kiba and Sakura, his expression unreadable. «It went well.» he said.

Kiba nodded. «You have really outclassed us, have you not?»

«They already did by graduation.» Shino simply said. «I'm only starting to catch up.»

By then, Akimi and Naruto were calmly making their way back to them.

Naruto waved at them, enthusiastically. «Guys, we are in luck, dattebayo!»

Akimi tossed the scroll to Kiba. «We only need to track down and defeat the Ame team and we can make way to the tower.»

Shino moved and flanked Naruto's left side. Sakura and Kiba were staring with wide eyes at Team 7.

«Are you not tired?» Sakura asked. «And how did you stop the Sound nin, Akimi-san?»

«When my clone attacked him, it placed a seal tag on him. You see, besides the standard storage seal, the easiest seal to make is probably the privacy seal. As the name suggest, it prevents sound from leaving a place. I never thought I would ever need to use it in combat, but...» she shrugged.

«He could talk, though...» Sakura frowned.

«Ah, I limited the area to his gauntlet, lest he understood something was off.»

«Sugoi.» the other girl murmured.

Akimi smiled at her, before tensing without apparent reason. Shino did too and Naruto as well, albeit only in reaction to his teammates' worry. Akamaru whined as well. They were all staring at the alcove. Sakura gulped and turned as well... Sasuke was surrounded by an evil, purple chakra.

«What the hell?» Kiba asked.

«Get behind us!» Akimi intimated, as Team 7 got to the defensive. «Shino, is that chakra as harmful to your Kikaichū as Orochimaru's?»

«Think so...»

«Right, we'll try to reason with him. Just in case, I've got chakra suppression seals here...» she tossed them two scrolls. «But I'm not sure they are going to work. Be alert.»

«Are we going to attack him?» Sakura asked, timidly. «He is our teammate.»

«We are only supposing the worse.» Akimi said. «Relax...»

«If things go badly, we promise we won't hurt him too much.» Naruto cut her off, with a smirk. «Don't worry.»

«Silence, baka!» Akimi swatted him. «Not everyone detests Uchiha-san as you do.»

«As if you like him...»

«Don't banter!» Shino exclaimed. «He is waking.»

In fact, Sasuke slowly raised up, as the purple chakra retracted into him and black seal lines covered his body.

«It's a seal.» Naruto murmured. «Can you understand it, 'mi-chan?»

She was intently staring at the lines, so she didn't answer.

«What's going on?» Sasuke asked, his voice dark. The look in his Sharingan eyes was full of madness and murderous intent. «What are **you **doing here?» he spat to Akimi.

«Calm down.» Akimi said. «You were hit by Orochimaru, remember?»

«Fight me!»

«No.» Akimi replied, candidly. «You are not yourself, Uchiha-san, and I don't intend to fight you. We are not enemies.»

«Shut up, you think you can best me? I'm a Uchiha!» Sasuke shouted, leaping towards her.

«Scatter!» Akimi shouted, drawing her Fūma Shuriken and parrying the boy's punch with ease. She was forced to retreat of a couple of step, though, because of his sheer strength. _"The bloody things has made him at least twice stronger and faster than he was." _

«Uchiha-san, there is no need of this. You are not yourself!» she repeated.

Sasuke snarled. «Shut up, do you feel this power? What do you know of me? This is the power I need. **FIGHT ME**!»

«I'm giving you a last chance to give this folly up, Uchiha-san!» Akimi said. «Afterwards, I'm going to retaliate.»

«Bring it on, wench!» Sasuke swept a kick towards her, but she simply jumped back, before throwing her now open Shuriken at him.

The boy laughed. «Is this the best you can do?»

Akimi's eyes narrowed. «I really don't want to hurt you.» she simply said, tugging her hand back.

Sasuke immediately jumped, avoiding the Fūma Shuriken, which was rotating back. However, he did not expect it to be surrounded by flames and as result, his clothes burned. Akimi caught her weapon with a fluid gesture, crouching down in a defensive position.

«See what I mean?» she softly asked. «Sasuke-san, you are not thinking clearly.»

«I said, shut up!» the Uchiha yelled, flashing handseals. «**Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!**»

Akimi simply held the tiger seal. «**Goukakyuu.**» she said, showing that her mastery over fire was far superior than his.

The two colossal fireball clashed and Akimi's clearly overpowered Sasuke's, only the girl dispersed the attack before it reached the boy.

«It's not use, Uchiha-san.»

«How dare you? Don't you know that my clan has mastered every Katon jutsu there is?»

«Whatever makes you feel better.» Akimi couldn't help but smirk. «Now stop, please.»

«I'll show you...»

Then, a voice spoke up, interrupting him. «**Kirigakure no Jutsu.» **

A tick mist covered the place – it was not as dense as Zabuza's and Haku's had been, but it was enough. Akimi closed her eyes, focusing chakra on her ears. Sasuke had frozen on the spot, predictably. She silently leaped towards him.

Sasuke managed to duck, even though his Sharingan's prowess was limited by the mist. He smirked, punching her with all his might. Akimi parried the blow with her left hand, before grabbing him by his shirt.

«What are you...?» he stopped, feeling someone coming from behind. Shino and Naruto attacked him, each one placing a seal on him.

«_Activate_!» Naruto and Akimi shouted in tandem.

Sasuke's eyes widened and the lines on his body slowly retracted towards his neck, before he fell on his knee. He felt dizzy, but he stayed conscious. He held his shoulder in pain. However, not willing to take a chance, Naruto had pointed the tantō at his throat. The mist was clearing.

«Sasuke-kun!» Sakura shouted, running towards them.

«Stop.» Akimi easily blocked her with a lazy flick of her arm. «Are you going to attack us again, Uchiha-san?»

«What happened to me...?» he huskily asked. «My head... it hurts. My neck!» he moaned.

Akimi nodded at Naruto, who quickly sheathed his tantō and stepped back. Then, she allowed Sakura to go ahead and hug the confused boy.

«Orochimaru placed a strange seal on you.» Akimi explained. «Do you remember?»

Sasuke slowly raised, but he felt queasy. Honestly, he only managed to stay on his feet because of Sakura's support – but he was not going to admit it or thank her.

«Yes. Who the hell was him, anyway? And why were you there?»

«We were passing by, dattebayo.» Naruto cheerfully answered. «Thought we would help some friends and all.»

«Orochimaru of the Sannin, one of the three legendary apprentices of Sandaime-sama.» Akimi explained, darkly. «Holds the summoning scroll of snakes and is a sick bastard who was exiled some years ago. We are lucky to have survived.»

«Do you have an idea what that seal does, Akimi-san?» Sakura asked.

«Boosts strength and speed, but also increases aggression, anger and hostility. You went berserker, Uchiha-san.» she stopped. «Also, the purple chakra really seemed similar to Orochimaru's, so I assume it was his. Which is also why you weren't knocked out by those chakra suppression seals. But you are quite tired, so I'd guess it somehow draws on _your _chakra as well.»

«Hn.»

«Right now, I would suggest you don't use jutsu, lest you reactivate the seal again. We need to hurry to the tower, so we can speak with Hokage-sama. Can you run?» Akimi concluded.

«Why are helping us?» Sasuke said, behind his teeth.

«You are friends and comrades.» Naruto replied. «No matters how this exams go. Even if we all failed, we would still be Konoha's shinobi like us, that's worth something, don't you think?»

«Besides, if we have to fight again in the next exam I would rather face you.» Akimi shrugged, talking in a way she knew the Uchiha would understand. «It would be easier than going against unknown enemies.»

«Fair enough.» Sasuke said. «We need two scrolls, though.»

«One.» Kiba happily waved the Heaven Scroll of Team Dosu. «Some little punks attacked us right before you woke up.»

«And we know where to find an Earth Scroll.» Shino said.

«So, would you like to eat or hunt first?» Naruto asked.

«Some food would be good. Then we hunt.» Sasuke replied, with a small smirk.

* * *

**Few hours later**

«Genjutsu ahead.» Shino said, from his place in the rear.

The six genins stopped.

«What does Kaera say?» Naruto asked. He and Kiba were the first in formation, followed by Sasuke and Akimi, then Sakura and Shino.

«She didn't recognise it, actually.» she shook her head in disapproval. «I need to train her: it's unacceptable and...!»

«'mi-chan, your point?»

«Yes, Kaera ran ahead for hours, yet she is only few minutes ahead of us. So I believe that is the effect of the genjutsu.»

«**Kori Shinchū no Jutsu.**» Sakura said. «It changes the perception of direction in the victim. Kurenai-sensei mentioned it once. I watched it up in the library.»

«Maybe you could really specialise in genjutsu, Sakura-san.» Akimi said, whistling. «Right, so we need to expect genjutsu users. Probably weak at hand to hand combat since they tried to tire us out. More likely, they will try to trap us in another genjutsu... we should split. One of us plays bait, the other strikes.»

«I'll play bait.» Naruto said. «I've got the biggest stamina here.»

«Me too.» Sakura timidly pointed out. «I can recognise genjutsu and I'm not good at close combat.»

«I'll go with you. I'll communicate with you through my Kikaichū.»

«Yeah, leave a female with us.» Akimi said. «But don't worry. Naruto-kun and I can speak with each other, remember?»

«Right your oh-so-mysterious seal.» Shino smirked a little, behind his collar. «That's how you cheated in the last exam, Naruto?»

The blonde shrugged. «As long as you don't get caught.» he replied. «Let's go.»

Kiba was puzzled. «Did Shino just use sarcasm? You are corrupting him!»

Akimi smirked. «How else could he have survived all these months with us?»

«Fair enough.» Kiba replied.

«Let's go as well.» Sasuke said.

«I'll take rear.» Akimi nodded. «Kiba-san, let's go round a little on the right, so we can surprise these Ame-nins.»

* * *

Naruto, Sakura and Shino stopped in the clearing where the genjutsu started, pretending to be quite tired.

«We are in luck we managed to escape those Kusa nins.» Naruto panted, holding his right shoulder as it was hurt. «Are you guys all right?»

Sakura was impressed by his acting abilities. «I'm completely exhausted.» she whined.

«Let's rest then.» Naruto dropped o the ground, as if he could not stand anymore. With his head bended and hidden he whispered. «The others are coming from our right.»

Shino sat down as well. «This place seems covered enough.» he curtly said. «We can stop a little.»

They were not given much time to rest, though, because suddenly, with a creepy splashing-like sound, dozens of clones appeared around them. They raised from the ground, from the trees, from the rocks, completely surrounding them.

Naruto slowly raised, still pretending to be hurt, and placed himself between them and Sakura. Shino did the same. «Cover us.» the blonde said.

The enemy nin all wore re-breather and tight black suits. Their eyes upper face was covered by bandages, with holes for the eyes. «Like a mouse in a trap.» one said.

The three genin closed up together, covering each other backs. «What we do?» Sakura asked.

«Are they real clones?» Naruto wondered. «Or illusions?»

«One way to found out.» Shino replied.

And he and Naruto tossed shurikens around, at the very same second.

"_They have great teamwork" _Sakura thought, awed.

The wounded clones started to melt in a black substance, similar to dense ink, before reforming and attacking them with kunai.

«Wait a second, if they are illusions why are they attacking?» Naruto shouted.

«Block them!» Shino replied, having a bad feeling about it.

Naruto flashed handseals. «**Fūton: Kaze no Tate!**» Tung. With a clang, at least three real kunai fell on the ground.

«So the real ones are hidden...» Sakura said. «And they are using illusions to confuse us. Can you find them, Shino-san?»

«They are not around... they would have been discovered.» the sun glassed boy answered. «So...»

* * *

«They are underground.» Akimi said, observing the fight from her spot on a tree a dozen of meters far from the fight. «Uchiha-san, remember, don't use jutsu – or your seal will activate.»

«Hn.» Sasuke scoffed. «How do we reach them if they are underground?» he asked, ignoring her order. He was not about to be ordered around by the likes of her.

«Prepare to hit.» Akimi simply replied. «They are weak, hence they use this tactic. I'm going to smoke them out... as soon as our comrades jump away.»

«Hai.»

«'_to-kun, scatter!_»

Naruto finished deflecting another series of kunai, this time using his tantō and chakra flow. «Get on the trees. They are below!» he shouted.

As the three genins jumped away, Akimi landed on the clearing, holding the snake seal. That was what Sasuke had been waiting for. _"__**Sharingan!" **_he thought, with a smirk.

«**Doton...**» Akimi shouted in that moment. «**Doryū Numa**** no jutsu!**»

Sasuke felt a sharp pain on his neck. Damn it the girl had been right. He quickly grabbed the spot and grimaced. _"Blast it!" _he watched in amazement as the earth behind Akimi's feet suddenly became a floating pond of mud, revealing three genins just below the surface. _"I could have copied it!" _ However, it was useless to think about it a about it, so he choose to attack.

Akimi had closed on one of the three stunned Ame nin immediately, knocking him out with a single kick. Yes, they were really weak. Kiba easily hit another, his sense of smell helping him to spot the real one.

Sasuke had keenly observed the last one and had no problem taking him out of the equation as well. He was not about to be outshined by some no-name. «That was easy...» he murmured, marvelling.

«They were overconfident in their tactics.» Akimi shrugged. «You should get the scroll.»

As Sasuke searched their bodies, the other regrouped in the middle of the clearing.

«Smooth, 'mi-chan.» Naruto said, smiling.

«Here it is.» Sasuke said, proudly.

Sakura bowed. «I guess we really owe you.»

«Nay, no prob.» Naruto said. «Do you need to rest or shall we approach the tower?»

Akimi rubbed her chin. «Theoretically, as we are already near it, we are now in a very dangerous zone. Many team could have hidden near the tower to ambush others.»

«Logical.» Shino nodded. «We should scout for a safe route.» A swarm of his Kikaichū left him. Kaera leaped after them.

«We'll do so.» Akimi said. «We can afford to stay here a little, catch our breath. Then we go.»

* * *

Sasuke was outraged. Very outraged.

Not that one could say it, of course. He was a Uchiha, so he was above showing off emotion like that. Still, deep down he knew: he was _beyond _outraged. He was furious.

The last years of his life had been dark, that much could be said. And who would, who could blame him? His _whole _clan had been slaughtered. That... that man had killed them all, only because he wanted to test his strength! That's why he was an avenger. That was why he needed power.

And he couldn't help but feel he was held back. The years in Academy had been long and, frankly speaking, boring, but it had been all right... until that _no-name _arrived.

Katora Akimi.

While he somehow respected her, for she was very competent, but she irked him a little. The girl didn't even acknowledge him! He was the _last _Uchiha. He was hailed as a genius, one of those geniuses that appeared only seldom times in hundreds of years... and she ignored him! It annoyed him. Not that he would ever admit it.

Sasuke accepted that Akimi was very talented as well. He had been a little irritated – and baffled - when she became the rookie of the year, but what did he matter after all? He was an avenger. He didn't care for petty things like those idiotic villagers did. He cared for... _power. _Which was why he was furious.

When the Kusa kunoichi – or was it Orochimaru? – was fighting him, he couldn't even hold his own. He, Uchiha Sasuke, a _genius_, could not. But the _dobe _could? What the hell? And when he woke up, when he finally felt like he had the power he needed, the dope and the annoying girl had stopped him. And then they pretended to be all noble and whatever, saying they were going to help him and everything.

How idiotic.

Of course, the strange mark on his neck did hurt. A lot. Not that he would admit it to anyone. Which was way he had been defeated, he reckoned. But how dared she order him around like that? She had basically _prohibited _him from using jutsu – and the Sharingan! That was preposterous.

And what was it with Team 7 taking charge? Who did they think they were? If it weren't enough his so called teammates seemed to follow Akimi and Naruto's lead without protesting. Kiba never listened to him, the last Uchiha, and yet he did as the _dobe _asked just like that. What the hell?

If only he could use his chakra properly he would have ditched them – and dragged Kiba with him, he had no doubts that Sakura would follow him blindly. As it was, thought, he knew he could not defeat Naruto, Akimi and Shino. Which was why he was following them, as they made way through the darkish forest. It was only a matter of waiting. He had learned that.

Sasuke would show that dobe and that no-name wench who he really was capable of. He was the last Uchiha, an avenger. _"Just you wait." _he thought, unconsciously nourishing the strange mark on his neck with his anger and hatred. _"Just you wait." _

* * *

**April, 14th 214 – The tower, mild afternoon**

Akimi sighed in relief when they landed near the tall, imposing frame of the central tower. _"Finally out from this bloody forest." _She thought. _"Although, hadn't it been for that snake it wouldn't have been so bad, I suppose." _

The doors of the tower were opened. The first in was Naruto – who rushed forward as he always did. They all followed him, arriving in a fairly big, airy and empty room.

«Now what?» asked Kiba.

«There, there is something!» Sakura exclaimed. She indicated a poster on the wall. «If qualities of haven are what you desire, acquire wisdom to take your mind higher. If earthly qualities you lack, train your body, prepare to attack. When heaven and earth are opened together, the perilous path will become righteous forever... what does it mean?»

They all looked at each other.

«Maybe we need to open the scrolls?» Sasuke asked.

«Yeah, that would be logical.» Shino said. «Akimi...»

«Kai.» she said, making their two scrolls appear. «Here, boys, you do the work.» and she tossed one each at them.

Kiba took out the Heaven Scroll, while Sakura took the Earth one from Sasuke.

«Let's do this together.» Naruto shouted. «Here we go, dattebayo.»

The four scrolls opened, revealing strange symbol on them.

«What? _"Person"?_» asked Sakura. «What does it mean?»

«You may want to put that down.» Akimi said, yawing.

«It's a summoning scroll!» Sasuke yelled.

The four genins quickly tossed the scrolls on the ground, where they crossed one above the other. Then, with a puff of smoke, two figures appeared from nothingness.

* * *

**JUTSU NOTES**

**Zankūkyokuha **[Extreme Decapitating Airwaves]: C rank, offensive/defensive, short-medium range: it's a more powerful and massive version of the Decapitating Airwaves, able to destroy everything in its path and level the area around.

**Kyōmeisen: ** [Resonating Echo Drill], C rank, offensive, short range. Dosu uses the **Melodic Arm, **a holed gauntlet, to manipulate and amplify sound with arm movement. It causes dizziness, nausea, blurred eyes and temporary loss of balance in an opponent. It can also block shuriken and kunai.

**Kori Shinchū no Jutsu **[Sly Mind Technique] C rank, supplementary, medium-long range, this genjutsu affects one's perception of direction. It can be used to make the victim believe they are straight to their destination, while in reality they are going in circles.

**Oboro Bunshin no Jutsu** [Haze Clone Technique]: D rank, supplementary, it creates numerous illusionary clones to confound the enemy. If it, the clones fade into a ink-like substance, before reforming.

**Doton:Doryū Numa**** no jutsu **[Earth Release: Earth Flowing Lake] B rank, supplementary/offensive, short-medium range, the user transforms the ground around them in a slippery pond of mud, making their enemies lose balance. Mastery over earth allows to create a deeper pond, possibly making possible to entrap or partially drown an opponent.

* * *

**REVIEW ANSWERS:**

**Naruakimilover39****:**_well, I am using the show as a guideline and I'll definitely continue doing so. Of course there will be some major and a lot of minor changes eventually. For now I'm kind of going with the flow, although I've a general idea of what I am going to do. I also want to see how the war will end in canon – this if Kishi doesn't go on forever with it. And yes, Akimi __**will **__be in Shippūden! Thank you for reviewing. _

**CHAOSPRIMER**_**: **__thank you for reviewing again! There are all good ideas, so I will definitely put them in the story (maybe I'll change a thing here and there.) Only, it will be a while until Shino masters his element so you'll have to wait. (But I am almost certain I'll give him lighting at this point...) I had already thought about Shino implementing some seals into his fighting style, at least as support – it is kind of obvious considering he is Akimi and Naruto's teammate. _

**Wizardmon0073**_**: **__thank you very much for reviewing! I'm honestly not sure yet how or when exactly they will deal with those issues about Ninja darkness. I am still working on the details. But I think Danzo will pop and say hello very soon. About Sakura, I really enjoying writing about that kick. I've always felt someone should have done it in the show as well. Besides, I really need a medic for later on in the story. I completely agree with you on the genjutsu thing. Canon Kakashi really is a little illogical. My Sakura will use genjutsu, because I don't think being a medic/using ninjutsu are mutually exclusive – quite the contrary. __About Kyūbi__: I've something planned. I am not saying anymore so not to spoiler you. But it will be a slow development. Just have a little patience. It will come. __About Katon manipulation: __yeah I know it sounds strange. But after all they are ninja. They walk up trees and water etc. etc. so in the end I thought it was believable. I got inspiration from the fact that in many cultures fire symbolises purification. At least I think so... _

_About Gogyō Fūin: you are right, attempting an high rank technique like that was a little risky **and **reckless. It was basically a gamble: Akimi knew that if she didn't cancel the seal Naruto would be hindered and they would be more in danger, had they been attacked. If she did cancel the seal, he would instead recover in a few hours, making their situation much more safer. Hence, she did attempt the seal. Also, I figure is quite confident (maybe even overconfident) in her Fūinjutsu abilities, not to mention that Naruto has influenced her just as much as she influenced him. Lastly, she was in a situation of extreme emotional duress, making her a little less sensible than usual. _

_However, I don't believe that, had she failed, she would have unleashed Kyūbi. Let me explain: it is not really clear how Gogyō Fūin works in canon, anyway what I think is that it is simply put over the Yondaime's seal, without fusing with it or anything. Also, we have evidence that Yondaime's seal was **very, **very strong. Even Naruto, without the key, had to unleash eight tails of Kyūbi's chakra before risking to remove it. And the seals that held other Tailed Beasts, like Gaara's one or Yugito's one, were weaker than Naruto's, and yet Akatsuki had to spent days breaking them (although it was actually a unsealing/releasing process). For these reasons, I believe that if Akimi had failed, the only consequence would only have been that the Gogyō seal would have remained, not something catastrophic. _

**Neo Amon**_**: **__thank you so much for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter. I've always like to experiment with new POVs so I'm glad you found it interesting as well. Naruto will come to accept his "special" powers, in time. It will be a slow process though. About Sakura's question, I think that she is a very observant and curios person, and yet very much clueless the next one. So that's why she asked it – if it makes sense. Your thoughts about the Loyalty Seal are very interesting. I'm not saying anything more because I don't want to spoiler... but you'll see. _

**dammyd****: **_thank you for reviewing! I actually didn't realise the fic gave this impression. Naruto takes Fūinjutsu seriously and he knows how dangerous it can be. He is very close to Akimi's level in fact. He will be use seals as well in future, just not as much as her. He also knows a little about seal creation, but usually prefers to let Akimi work with it. He usually gives her ideas. The reason for this is mainly the fact that I didn't want Naruto to be too OOC, or better said I wanted him to keep some of his main canon traits. So he still is hyperactive, cheerful and charismatic and, like in canon, doesn't really like intellectual activities. He basically is a ninjutsu freak. Also, the Uzumaki scrolls he has are very complex so he can't really work with them yet. It will happen... eventually. But I have also another idea to make him honour his legacy (also there is the fact that technically only Akimi knows he knows about the Uzumaki legacy, so it would be suspicious if he suddenly used too much Fūinjutsu. If this makes sense) _

* * *

**CHAPTER NOTES:  
**

**About Sasuke: **_So I don't know if you have already realised it, but I really dislike Sasuke's character. While he had a lot of potential at the start, now he has really became illogical and, frankly said, stupid. I'm considering the fact that this time around he doesn't have Naruto's positive influence so he is already more bent on his path to revenge/obsession with power. I am not sure I've written his POV well, and I hope I didn't bash too much. Let me know what you think. _

_Last thing: I would like some ideas about some genjutsu to put into the story, they can be very general. Thinking about original genjutsu techniques, for some reasons, is very difficult for me. Well, I'll probably come up with something in the end, but I'm always open to suggestions. _

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	16. Chap 15 Preliminaries

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

_Author's note: Thanks to everyone for reading! **Answer to the reviews are at the bottom. **_

_I am not very happy with this chapter. Writing the preliminary matches is difficult for me, probably because I am eager to get past them. I hope this chapter doesn't bore you too much. Oh, and title is lame, I know. Well, I hope you enjoy the chapter at least a little. Here we go: _

**Preliminaries**

With a puff of smoke, two figures appeared from nothingness.

The two team tensed, ready to fight once again, before recognising Iruka-sensei and another chūnin with him.

«Iruka-sensei?» Naruto asked. «What are you doing here?»

«Curious to see two teams complete together.» the nameless chūnin said. «Would you like to explain to all of them, Iruka-san? They were your students after all.»

«Thank you. I'm here to give you a message, but first...» Iruka said, checking his watch. «Congratulation on passing the Second Chūnin Exam, with three days to spare, guys.» he said, as the other nin left the room.

«Thanks, dattebayo!» Naruto exclaimed. «Will you treat us to ramen as a reward? Pretty please, pretty!» and he started jumping around.

«You are as energetic as always, Naruto.» Iruka said, a little freaked out.

«Cool down, Naruto-kun, I've some Ichiraku's special sealed away. We can have them after Iruka-sensei finishes talking with us, but he can't if you keep this up.»

«What? You are the best, 'mi-chan!» Naruto hugged her, enthusiastically.

«Thanks.» she said, patting his shoulder. «Go ahead, now, Iruka-sensei.»

«Yes.» the Chūnin smiled at them, used to their antics. «So, the purpose of this exam was testing your ability to complete a mission, as you may have guessed.»

The kids sat down to listen to him, they were familiar to the teacher's long lectures.

«What would have happened if we opened the scrolls during the exam?» Sasuke asked. «What did you plan to do?»

«Very sharp, Sasuke.» Iruka chuckled. «We were ordered to knock you out, should you have not respected the rules. A chūnin is often sent as a messenger, so you have to respect the client's privacy.»

«And what about that strange writing on the wall?» Sakura asked.

«Ah, yes. It's my mission to explain it to you. That is a principle given to us by Hokage-sama.»

«Principle?» Kiba asked.

«Something every chūnin should always remember.» Iruka solemnly explained. «Earth refers to the body: if you aren't strong, you should train hard, lest you fall in combat. Heaven refers to the mind: if that is your weak point, you should acquire knowledge and wisdom, lest you fail your mission. If you have both a strong body and a keen mind, then no dangerous mission will pose a threat to you.»

They silently reflected on these words.

«A chūnin is a high class commander. He has to command a team, whose life relies on their shoulder.» Iruka said. «Never forget the importance of strength and knowledge in missions. Inscribe this principle deep in your heart and go ahead to the next step. But don't push yourself too much...»

«Sensei.» Naruto got up. «When you gave us this Hitai-ate, you recognised we were not kids anymore, but proud shinobi. Have faith in us? Now, can we go? I want my ramen!»

«No.» Akimi sternly said. «Iruka-sensei, is Hokage-sama in the tower?»

«What?» the chūnin asked. «He is, but I don't think he wants to be dist...»

«Oh believe me, he **does **want to hear this. It's about his wayward student. The nastiest of them.» Akimi darkly said. «We fought Orochimaru in the forest.»

«What?» Iruka paled. «How did you survive?»

«He spared us.» Akimi shrugged. «Now take us to Sandaime-same, if you please.» and then she looked sharply at Sasuke, as if daring him to protest. «All of us»

«Hn.»

«All right...» Somehow Iruka didn't dare to contradict the girl. «... follow me.»

* * *

Anko was seated on a leather couch, panting. In front of her the Hokage was standing, his arms crossed behind his back, a serious expression on his face. Behind him were Ibiki, the ANBU commander and Kakashi.

«Does the seal still hurt, Anko-chan?» Hiruzen asked, softly, his eyes concerned.

«It's better now, thanks to you, Hokage-sama.»

«It's hard to believe he is back.» Ibiki said. «Did he say something, Anko? What is he after?»

«Uchiha Sasuke.» Anko answered. «And he admitted not to have the manpower to attempt and assassinate Sandaime-sama.»

«Somehow that is not reassuring.» Hiruzen sighed, inhaling a breath of smoke. «Anyway, we can't cancel the Exams: we would lose face with the Elemental Nation. Ah, I'm getting too old for this...»

«Hokage-sama!» an ANBU opened the door. «There are six _genins _here, who want to speak with you. I'm sorry but they are quite insistent and...»

Hiruzen smirked. «Let them through.»

«Certainly, Hokage-sama.» the ANBU answered, albeit a little confused.

Iruka was the first to enter, still pale, Team 7 and Team 8 followed him.

«Oh, hello, sensei.» Akimi said. «You are not reading... that's strange.»

«I could say the same to you.» Kakashi replied, with a small eye-smile.

«Oh, well.» the girl shrugged. «ANBU-san, Morino-san, Mitarashi-san.» she bowed to Hiruzen. «Hokage-sama.»

The old leader nodded at her. «Akimi-chan, I suppose this was your request.»

«Yeah, I thought you would be interested... since we met the least likeable of your students in the forest.» she tilted her head. «Or at least, the only one that is an international sick criminal.»

«You met Orochimaru?» shouted Anko, leaping on her feet.

Akimi tilted her head, staring at her shoulder. _"Mmm, curious." _«Yes.»

«Are you alright?» bellowed Kakashi instead, concerned.

«Mostly.» Akimi sighed. «We had just defeated an Ame team, obtaining our Earth scroll, when Kaera told me there was this giant snake trying to kill Kiba-san... so we went to help him. After we arrived there, we sensed another fight going on, between Uchiha-san, Sakura-san and Orochimaru.» Akimi continued. «So, short long story, we decided to intervene as well.»

«Wait a second, you killed one of _his _summons?» Anko exclaimed.

Akimi looked at Kakashi. «**Toukai Konbo**...»

The man nodded. «Yes, that's a deadly one.» he softly said. «Did you rush in a fight with one of Sannin, knowing who he was?» their embarrassed expression told him everything. «I don't know if be proud or spank you until you can't sit, that was reckless!»

«My fault!» Naruto raised his hand. «I was the stupid one. But in the end all finished well, ya know...»

«Because of **sheer **luck.» Akimi spat, annoyed. The blonde lowered his head. «So, Orochimaru played a little with us. I arrived just after he bit Uchiha-san on the neck... and he later tried to do it to me and Naruto as well.»

Hiruzen rubbed his forehead. «I'm impressed you stopped him.»

«Well he didn't expect me to arrive, so I raised an earth shield between him and Naruto. So he tried to get me instead.» Akimi said. «But I evoked a fire shield around me, and that probably pissed him off, so he decided to kill me. One of his snake bit me.»

«How are you still standing then?» Anko frowned.

«I burned most of the poison off and then Shino used his Kikaichū to finish the job. I was very lucky we thought about a way to counter poisons after our run-in with the Demons Brothers...» Akimi shrugged. «But that's not relevant now. After Orochimaru bit me, Naruto went berserker... like in Wave.»

Hiruzen and Kakashi nodded in understanding, while the others – especially the genins – were quite confused.

«So the snake-teme put an uneven seal on him, disrupting his chakra flow and knocking him out, and then he left. I don't know why, but I'm not about to complain.»

Anko sighed. «I was chasing him. We found some dead Kusa nin outside the forest, discovering his presence in the exam.»

«Ah, that would explain the disgusting thing he did melting the face of that woman off.» Naruto exclaimed.

Hiruzen frowned at this, then asked to Team 8: «Can you add something to this story?»

Sakura briefly told them of the arrival of the Kusa kunoichi, who separated them with a wind jutsu. Then, the genins speak of how they found shelter and rested, concluding with the tale of Sasuke's awakening.

«I will prepare a sealing chamber to restrain the curse mark, Sasuke-kun.» Hiruzen said. «For now, I want you and your team to visit the infirmary. I need to be sure you are fine. Iruka, accompany them.»

If the Chūnin was puzzled by the order, he didn't show it. _"Why did he let Team 7 stay?"_.

«I fear there is something else you wished to say, Akimi.» Hiruzen said. «This will give us more privacy.»

The girl nodded. «Well, we were attacked by the Oto team. They did show a strange interest in Uchiha-san, but claimed it was because he was the rookie of the year.»

«You defeated them?» Anko asked.

Naruto smirked. «They were arrogant.» he said. «One of my clones followed them. After a while, they stopped to recover, and I heard them say that Orochimaru sent them to kill Sasuke. So I suppose that hebi-teme is the head of this Otogakure.»

«Why would he put the seal on him and then have him killed?» the ANBU asked.

«Most likely he wanted to test him.» Anko answered.

«Something else?» Hiruzen asked.

«Yeah.» Akimi produced a small card. «A certain Yakushi Kabuto, genin of the village, had this – and many other cards. He claimed to have info about every person in the exam and to be an expert because he failed _7 _times. This card reacts to specific chakra, which is the key to make the information appear... it's very detailed. Missions record, team members, abilities as well. Anyway, for whatever reason, Uchiha-san asked Yakushi-san to see the intel about me and he knew I was on an A-rank mission with my team, but... I thought that was classified?»

Sarutobi frowned. «It was.»

«A spy.» Ibiki said, with contempt. «Just the fact that he had mission records means he stole them... and the security is quite high. However, we need solid proof.»

«Can you break down the seals on the card, Akimi?» Hiruzen asked.

«Yeah. Probably will take me a day or two.» the girl shrugged. «But we have to stay here and wait for the end of the exam, I assume?»

«Indeed.» Hiruzen said. «I suggest you rest. Tell Kakashi as soon as you are successful. Now tell me, what do you think of the curse seal you saw on Sasuke?»

«It's very small, shaped like three tomoes, similar to the full Sharingan eye. It contains a high reserve of foreign chakra, my best guess would be Orochimaru's, that is full of killing intent. Once activated, the seal expands on most of the body, leaving the right side free of its signs. The principal effect seems to be a boost in power, strength and speed, with the downside of increasing aggression, anger... it also appears to cause pain in the user after it deactivates. Since Orochimaru placed it on Uchiha-san through a bite, I would say it's based on some type of genetic mutation. The seal likely reacts to chakra, maybe also absorbs it – I am not sure - so it probably will activate whenever Uchiha-san attempts a jutsu. Using it also requires a lot of will power... I don't know it's like it calls to his darker side. He was drunk on power.»

«You got all this by observing the seal once?» Anko asked, surprised.

«I've studied Fūinjutsu since I was very young, Mitarashi-san.»

«I'll show you the seal I plan to place on Sasuke.» Hiruzen said. «I'd like your opinion about it.»

«Certainly.» Akimi bowed.

«Is that all?» the Hokage asked then.

Akimi glanced at her teammates, they shrugged. «Yes.»

«Very well. Then you are dismissed. Kakashi, show them their room. We will announce the end of this Second Exam in three days time, since then you are free to do whatever you like, but I suggest you keep your energies up.»

* * *

Kakashi brought his team in one of the upper floors of the tower, to a single big room with a private bathroom. They were to share it of course, but at least there were beds. It would be good not to sleep on the ground, after what they had been through in the forest.

As soon as they entered the room, Kakashi crossed his arms and looked at Akimi. «Give us privacy.»

Akimi sighed. What was with people and ordering her to make seals around? Everyone could learn how to make privacy seal. They were so easy. However, she recognised the tensed settling of her sensei's shoulders, so didn't voice her complains. After all, she didn't really mind that much.

She took out her ink and started drawing. Ten minutes later she nodded to Naruto, who crossed his fingers in the ram hand seal and activated the array. The room glowed blue with symbols for a second, then the ink disappeared all together, leaving no visible trace that a seal had been drawn at all.

«Sit.» the jōnin ordered. «We need to speak.»

The tree genin knew their sensei/commander fairly well, even though they had been a team for only few months. Kakashi was a very laid back person and the fact that he was always late and always read porn gave the idea he might have been a disinterested sensei. Nothing could be more wrong. Even though he was sometime very eerie while speaking of serious topics, Kakashi cared for his students like a surrogate father. He trained them harshly and always made sure they were emotionally okay, especially after the almost disaster in the Land of Waves.

And he was angry/concerned right now.

«Sensei...» Akimi tried to say.

«No.» Kakashi barked. «You speak only if I tell you to. Shino, report.»

Akimi and Naruto lowered their heads, while Shino explained curtly but extensively what had happened during the first Exam and then in the forest of Death.

«... that's all.»

«You three all agreed to help Kiba, correct?»

The trio nodded.

«There was no doubt about it.» Shino stated.

Kakashi nodded. «Fair enough. After all a giant snake is an enemy well within your league. But then... Orochimaru?»

Naruto cringed. «It was my fault.»

«Was it?» Kakashi thundered. «You rushed in a fight with a _Sannin_? What possessed you do to that, Naruto?»

«I... I don't know.»

«When I told you that abandon your comrades makes you worse than trash, I also implied that you should care for your teammates. Tell me, what parts of forcing your teammates to come to your aid into an impossible fight is caring?»

«Sakura and Sasuke are also comrades!» Naruto protested.

Kakashi stared back at him. «Then why didn't you stop and think?»

«I don't know. It was a misunderstanding really. I thought Akimi wanted to leave and I got angry and then next thing I knew I was fighting against Orochimaru.»

«Sensei.» Akimi spoke up. «Just let me say something.»

Kakashi turned to her. «Go ahead then.»

«Running away would have been the smartest thing to do.» she said. «That's true, but it would also have been so wrong. And I don't know if planning ahead would have helped us in the long run...»

The jōnin sighed. «I am so angry with you three right now, but how can I scold you properly when I feel that the blame is on my shoulders?»

«You don't?» asked Naruto, a little tentative.

«Baka!» Akimi swatted him. «It's a matter of prospective, sensei. You call it blame, others may call it merit. It's _thanks_ to your teaching that Kiba is still alive. It's _because_ of your teaching we almost risked our lives. But the moment we entered the forest we knew we could die, that's why we signed those waivers after all. Sensei, it has been years since I hadn't fear I _could _die. After all I possibly have a madman after my head. After all I am a kunoichi of Konohakagure, am I not?»

Kakashi eye smiled. «You do have a way with words, Akimi-chan.»

Then Naruto got on his feet. «I know I was reckless and I think I learned my lesson, but thank you for scolding me, sensei. I think I needed it.» he said, gesticulating widely. «Of course, if you ever repeat any of these words again I'll be forced to prank you into next millennium, so...»

«You do have a way to ruin the atmosphere, Naruto.» Kakashi ruffled his student's hair. «But that's why we like you so much, isn't it?»

They shared a small laugh.

«Now, before I let you rest I need to know if you are all right, kids.» Kakashi said. «So?»

Naruto was the first to answer. «I feel guilty.» he murmured. «And I used _it _again.»

«And...?»

«I am not sure if I would have been able to stop this time. It was much worse than Nami.»

«You were surrounded by reddish aura of hissing chakra.» Akimi spoke up. «It looked like a sort of tail. The only time I felt a power so great was... the night my Grandfather died.»

Kakashi sighed. «Naruto, the only thing I can tell you is something you already know and that should always remember. You are not the fox. You used its chakra only two times and always because you were angry. Angry because someone had hurt a person precious to you. And both times you regretted using it, even though you didn't even kill anyone in that state. This is not something a demon, or an evil person, would think and do.» he said. «But that's something Uzumaki Naruto always thinks and does, no matter the cost. You are very protective of Akimi and of your friends, even of two old classmates that did never treat you fairly. That's something to be proud of, don't you think?»

«Sensei also has way with words.» Shino commented, as Naruto nodded in a hesitant way.

Kakashi eye smiled. «Thank you.»

«Sensei, I feel I need to learn some other way to attack and fight that my Kikaichū. I don't want to be hindered if I ever meet an opponent with corrosive chakra again.» Shino said, seriously. «Other than that, I am proud I was able to help Akimi recover... although I wish I could have fought side by side with my teammates.»

«Very well, Shino. We'll think of something, although you need grand part of your chakra reserves for you Kikaichū, we may find some ninjutsu or genjutsu trick for you to use.»

«Also, Fūinjutsu can help.» Akimi exclaimed. «Fūinjutsu can always help.»

They all nodded, used to her usual obsession with the "Art".

«Akimi.» Kakashi invited her to speak. «Your turn is up.»

She closed her eyes. «Fighting Orochimaru has been terrifying. I never felt that way, expect for... well, my grandfather's killer.» she explained. «When we fought Zabuza, I could perceive the difference of power between him and us. We are genin and he was an elite jōnin, but yet... yet I know we could outsmart him and that perhaps we had a shot of him because of our teamwork. But Orochimaru was so powerful, is so powerful, that the gap felt... insuperable. I hated to feel so powerless.»

«But?»

«It also gives me a new resolve, once again.» Akimi smiled a little. «We'll train. We'll get there. And maybe next time Orochimaru will be... reachable. And he won't like it.»

«You bet he won't.» Naruto spat. «That bastard won't even know what hit him. Well, at least the first time he won't.»

Kakashi nodded, taking out a familiar orange book. «Very well. I trust that if something is wrong you'll get me. I'm always there to listen to you.» he said. «I'll be around.» and he disappeared with a puff of smoke.

«Now, that was hasty.» Naruto observed. «Wonder why he left so quickly.»

«He probably missed his porn too much.» Akimi said, with disdain. «You know he enjoys it more if he is alone.»

«Well, that's understandable.» Naruto said and promptly avoided her punch. «You are becoming predictable, 'mi-chan.»

«Come one, guys.» Shino stopped the fight at the start, as he always did. «We should settle down.»

«Now that is a great idea.» Naruto exulted, happy to escape Akimi's wrath. «Why don't we eat? I remember something about Ichiraku's ramen...»

* * *

**April 15th, 214 – Infirmary**

Sasuke was in complete pain. He kept dozing off and when he was awake he could barely open his eyes, let alone move. He believed Kiba had visited him a couple of times and Sakura was sitting as his side, annoying as usual. At least she didn't expect him to answer. It was the only positive aspect of that whole situation.

The Hokage had explained to him that the curse seal he had received was very dangerous. It could him, he had said. He was not to use it. Sasuke wasn't sure what to think about it. The seal didn't seem so... bad.

Sure, it hurt. But the strange thing Kurenai and the Hokage did to him hurt as well. They said they had used a seal to suppress the mark's influence. They also said he had to use his will to aliment the suppressing seal. But why would Sasuke need to suppress it?

It gave him power. He still remembered the electrifying trill that sudden source of power sent through him. If he could control it... it would probably be enough. Yeah it could.

Once, Sasuke opened his eyes. His vision was blurred, but he thought he saw the dobe and no-name there. He also believed he heard them talk with Sakura. He hated the rosette's high-pitched voice, by the way. It was annoying almost as her antics were. As if he had time to waste with her.

He had to train. He had to get stronger.

And if he needed it, he would use that seal, the hell with everything.

"_Maybe I will have to fight with the dobe or the no-name during the Third Exam. That would be good." _Sasuke thought. _"I'll show them." _

He just hoped the pain would fade soon. He hated feeling so hopeless.

* * *

**April 17th, 214 – Mysterious Location **

It was all very strange.

She knew, deep down, that she was in a dream. She was sure, instinctively, that it was the only logical explanation as of why she was in such a weird place. That and the fact that her perception was very limited. It was like her eyes were covered by something, akin to sheer darkness, blurring her vision. A hissing sound was filling her ears, making it difficult to hear. An unknown, strange and disgusting stink was so intense she doubted she could smell anything else. As she was normally used to always analyse and attentively study her surrounding the feeling wasn't pleasant. At all.

As if it wasn't enough, she also felt her limbs heavy. She couldn't move properly. Even if she was certain it was only a dream, it somehow scared her.

That feeling of uselessness. All like two years before.

Akimi looked around, fighting with whatever it was that hindered her senses. She was in a stone chamber. It was very dark. The only light came from a small candle, at least she though, very far from her. Grimacing, Akimi made her way towards the bright spot.

«Damn old man...»

The voice startled her. It was low, husky and so... chilling. Like it was void of any positive emotion. Only darkness and despair. That voice. She was frozen in horror.

She mentally winced. _"That voice!"_.

«Damn old man...!»

This time the exclamation was followed by a fit of croaking cougher. It sounded really painful. Akimi thought blood was involved. Somehow that relieved her.

«And damn you, little Enkounkin!»

Akimi was startled. Her heart started pounding like mad. _"Not good. Not good at all...!" _

«Oh, you thought I didn't know you were here?» this time the voice was highly amused. «I was waiting for you. Come closer.»

Now, she knew that was a terrible, terrible idea. And idiotic one as well. But she couldn't help it. She moved one step forward. Then another.

«I could feel your despair. I drank on it, little Enkounkin.» the voice chuckled evilly. «Did something happen?»

Akimi gulped, getting closer to what looked like some sort of chair – or maybe a bed, she couldn't see clearly. She tried to struggle. She didn't want to get closer.

«Interesting.» the voice remarked. «Not many would fight me in such manner. The old man taught you well. For years, I thought you had died. But then again, I wasn't well enough to properly search for you. Little Enkounkin.»

Despite her efforts, Akimi couldn't stop. Eventually, after some few long moments, she arrived in front of the candle and the chair. It was a chair not a bed, she realised. Despite the fact that the light was now closer, the darkness around her eyes had gotten ticker. _"Genjutsu?" _she mused.

«Where are we?» she asked. She cursed how weak and scared her voice sounded.

«Does it matter, little one?»

Akimi scratched her head. Did it matter?

«I think it doesn't. Ah, I can't see you as well as I would like.» the voice said. «Damn old man.»

Akimi felt a surge of hatred dissipate her fear, at least for a second. «Don't call him that!» she barked.

This time the laughter was thunderous. «You have spirit! Excellent. It will make for a fulfilling meal.»

Akimi trembled in complete terror.

«Look at me, little Enkounkin.» the voice croaked. «Come closer.»

Horrified, Akimi watched like she were out of her body and the scene was played in front of her. She watched as she leaned towards that _thing. _Because he wasn't human. Not in the strict sense of the word.

The first thing she saw were the eyes. Cold, chilling and flat grey eyes. They were void, as if they were made of metal. They perfectly reflected her own black and deep black irises. Then, as her blurred vision became focused, what she witnessed made her scream.

Then, she felt a strong pain on her right leg, like claws scratching her skin. And was that a roar she heard? And just like that, she was awake.

Her eyes were wide opened. She was clenching the covers of her modest bed in the Tower. She was sweating profusely and panting. She felt a shiver on her spine.

«Kuroken...» she whispered, sitting up. «Kuroken.»

«Meow.»

«Kaera?» Akimi mumbled, as her small familiar jumped in her lap. «Was it you? Did you wake me up?»

The tiger purred and leaned her upper paws on her chest, raising to lick her face.

«So we were in my mind...» Akimi mused. «Or something akin to that.»

Kaera agreed with her.

Akimi sighed, looking around. Her teammates were sleeping one on each side of her. Shino near the windows. He was curled on his side, his back on her, his breath even and relaxed. Shino was always silent and unmoving even in sleep.

Naruto was another story. Akimi and the rest of the team were glad for the invention of privacy seals, because when he could sleep deeply the boy snored like a bear. Not that she had never heard a bear sleep, but... She smiled seeing the blonde sprawled on his back, his covers a messy bundle at his feet.

«Meow!»

Akimi looked down at the tiger. «You are right, Kaera-chan.» she sighed. «But he is sleeping so well.»

Kaera simply tilted her head, just like the girl always did.

That made Akimi giggle softly. «That's true.» she patted the animal's, before rubbing her between her hears, as Kaera liked. The tiger purred in contentment.

Then, Akimi slipped silently out of the bed and approached Naruto. Taking care not to wake Shino up, the girl gently shook her boyfriend's shoulder.

«What... What's wrong?» Naruto slurred, between snores.

«Just move a little, 'to-kun.»

The boy snored again, but complied. Naruto was easily manipulated when he slept. One time she had played a prank on him because of that. It involved ramen and waking up in the middle of the village in pink pyjamas. Akimi giggled at the memory, as she lied down beside him.

«'mi-chan?» Naruto mumbled.

«Sleep.» she said to him, drawing comfort by his presence. «Sleep.»

«All right.» he did enveloped her in his arms, thought. «This is nice.»

«It is.» Akimi started to relax. Kaera jumped on the bed, curling at their feet. «It really is.»

It wasn't long before she caught sleep again.

* * *

**April, 18th 214 – Team 7's room**

When Kakashi sent a clone to wake his team up he was surprised to see Akimi and Naruto curled together in bed. The jōnin was one of the few people who knew the true extent of the two teen's relationship. He also knew that the two were aware that they could not let their romance interfere with the mission.

It was strange for them to show such affection during the exam. And with Shino in the same room – despite how close the tree genins were, Akimi was very reserved and moreover would hate to put the Aburame in an embarrassing position.

That made Kakashi worry. _"She probably looked for comfort." _He realised. The clone ruffled his hair. What was he to do?

Just then Kaera raised her head and looked at him, yawing. Akimi jumped on her feet a second later. «Sensei.» she said.

Her eyes looked troubled, but otherwise Kakashi thought she was fine.

«Akimi-chan.»

«Can we talk about this later?» the girl asked. «I gather it's time, after all?»

«Almost.» Kakashi said. «Something wrong, Akimi?»

«Just a nightmare.» Akimi said. «I...»

The jōnin eye smiled sadly. «Make sure you talk about it, even if it isn't with me.» he said. «Wake the boys up. You have half an hour to get ready.» and the clone popped out of existence.

Akimi sighed. «Well, that went... fine.» she murmured. «BOYS! Wake up. The deadline is almost up!»

Shino immediately stretched and raised. Naruto groaned.

«Rise and shine, Naruto-kun.» Akimi smirked, before literally pushing the boy out of bed. «Time to get up.»

* * *

**Sometime later, Arena of the Tower**

The few, remaining genins who passed the Second Exam, gathered in the middle of a large arena. There were suspended platforms on the side, probably to allow spectators to watch the battles ongoing. In the front of the room was the huge statue of two hands that formed the ram seal.

The Hokage stood in the middle of the room, in front of those crossed fingers, flanked by the most important examiners. Anko was on his left, Ibiki on his right – Iruka sensei was there as well. Behind him the jōnin sensei of the teams were lined, in front of him were the genin.

Naruto was on the front, Akimi behind him and Shino last. They patiently waited for whatever was going to happen to start.

«First thing off,» Anko said in that moment, «congratulation on passing the Second Exam.» _"Out of 78 people who attempted it, only 21 passed. It's good, but I was hoping to get a single number..." _

"_The Oto nins are here... and Yakushi-san as well. Damn, Gaara is as well. It seriously creeps me out." _Akimi thought, with a sigh. _"And also all the rookies passed. We'll that certainly boosts Konoha's strength, doesn't it?" _

«Your team is pretty good.» Maito Gai said in that moment, from his place near Kakashi. «But as long as my team is here, they have no hope to continue. This exam tests individual abilities... ah, youth is sweet but sometimes strict, Kakashi.»

«Mmm?» the masked jōnin said. «Did you say something, Gai?»

Gai looked shocked and frustrated. «You and your hip attitude... it was good, rival Kakashi, but it also pissed me off.»

From her place, Tenten noticed the confrontation. _"So that is sensei's eternal rival? Mah, he certainly beats him in the looks department." _She then looked at Team 7. _"They passed and they arrived here even before us... barely scratched. They are not pushovers." _

The Oto team's _jōnin sensei _looked pissed. _"So they survived. And the girl doesn't seem effected by my poison. Mmm... she was feigning it. Smart. No matter, anyway, Sasuke-sun survived. This is the important." _

Hiruzen was attentively studying the genins as well. _"So many of them remained... and most of them new. Looks like the jōnin sensei did made a good bet by nominating them." _

«Hokage-sama will now explain to you the Third Exam.» Anko said, before turning and bowing at the old leader. «Please listen closely.»

Hiruzen made a step forward, his hands crossed behind his back. «Before the Third Exam begins, there is something I need to explain to you. It's the true purpose of the Chūnin Selection Exam.» he said, his pipe on his mouth as always. «Why do we have a joint exam, have you wondered? Officially, is to "promote good relationship between countries" and increase "the level of the shinobi", but that is just a pretty façade to an harsher truth. Don't let this deceive you: what the Chūnin Exam truly is, so to speak...» He paused, breathing out a puff of smoke. «... a substitute war between allied countries.»

Some of the genins gaped, while Tenten asked, maybe a little concerned: «What do you mean?»

«A long time ago, each village held their own chūnin exams.» Sarutobi said. «However, since neighbouring countries kept fighting over and over to prove who was the strongest, wasting a lot of manpower and resources, it was decided to choose a determinate place and time to fight... and this is the beginning of the Chūnin Selection Exam.»

Naruto frowned «Why, aren't we doing this do become chūnins?»

«Of course, this exam does indeed select those who have the abilities and skills to be promoted.» Hiruzen conceded. «But most importantly, the Exam is a moment where ninja fight and carry their country's dignity. Potential clients, feudal lords and famous people are invited to witness to the Third Exam. If they see a significant difference in power, the stronger country will be flooded with jobs, while the weaker one will lose missions. At the same time, countries are able to show how much they have grown and how strong their military is, thus putting foreign pressure to other nations. You are only genin, the weakest of your village, but you are the future: one day you may become chūnin and even powerful jōnin. This is why the first two exams cuff off your numbers so much, only the best arrive here.»

«So what are we going to do?»

«You are going to fight to the death.» Hiruzen's face became harder. «A country's power is a village's power. And a ninja true power only emerges in life-death battles. I repeat to you, this Exam is an excuse to show off a country's power. It only has a meaning if your life is on the line.»

«But why did you say it is a way to promote good relationships if we are going to kill each other?» Tenten asked.

«Don't get confused with the façade: fight to maintain the balance... this is a good relationship in a ninja world. And in any case, not many are actually killed in the Exam: usually genin prefer to spare their opponent's life.»

«I don't care.» said Gaara's, monotonously. «Tell us the details of this life or death battle.»

«Very well, then I will explain the Third Exam, but...»

The Hokage was interrupted by the arrival of a ninja via Sunshin. «Excuse me, Hokage-sama.» he said, bowing. «Allow me... cough, cough, to explain the rules to them.»

«Very well, do so.» Hiruzen replied.

The new arrived wore the standard Konoha uniform, with a bandana on his head. He had dark short eyes and was pale, sick looking. He turned to look at them. «It's nice to meet you, mina-san. Cough, cough. My name is Gekkō Hayate and I've the honour to be proctor for this Third Exam. Before we start, though, there is something I need you to do...» The genins looked at him, expectantly. «Fight in some preliminary matches to see who advances in the main battle.»

«What?» was the general protest, the loudest coming from Shikamaru. «What do you mean preliminary?»

«Excuse me, sensei.» Sakura said. «Can't we just start the Third Exam with the remaining examinees?»

«No» Hayate replied. «I don't know if it is because the First and Second Exam were too easy, or if you are extremely talented, but there is too many of you. Cough, cough. According to the Chūnin regulations, we must decrease the number of participants...»

«No!» was another general shout.

«... because as Hokage-sama mentioned, cough, cough, there are going to be a lot of guests in the Third Exam and we can't just have too many matches» Hayate replied. «We have also a limited time, so if any of you isn't okay...» and he broke down in an uncontrollable fit of coughs, making many genins wondered if _he _was okay.

«Please excuse me, as I was saying, if anyone wants to quit after hearing the explanation, raise your hand now, cough, cough. The preliminary will begin immediately»

«What? Immediately? We just got through the second Exam!» Ino shouted.

«How troublesome.»

«What about my meal?»

«Oh, I forgot to mention, from now the exam we'll be individual based, so don't be afraid to drag your team with you if you wish to withdraw.

Then, Kabuto raised his arm. «You are Konoha's Yakushi Kabuto-kun, right?» Hayate asked, receiving in answer a nod. «Then you may leave.»

Akimi looked sharply at him – and wasn't the only one. Ibiki also had his eyes on him, especially after she managed to show him the card, after working a little to break down the seals.

«Why, Kabuto-san?» Naruto asked. «Why are you quitting, dattebayo?»

«Sorry, but my body is completely worn out... I can't fight, especially since it's a life or death battle.»

They watched him go.

«So the girl was right.» Ibiki said, impressed. «I'll have ANBU shadow him.»

The Hokage nodded, curtly. «Be careful. He may have downplayed his abilities _a lot_. He stole right under our noses.»

Ibiki nodded.

«May I assume none of you wants to quit?» Hayate asked. He received nods in response. «Very well, then we'll begin the preliminaries. It will be one on one matches. You will fight until your opponents is knocked out, dies or admits defeat. If you don't want to die you should give up immediately... cough, cough, and if I judge a battle is over, I may stop you to prevent unnecessary deaths. And the things that holds your destiny is...» He stopped, as one of the panel on the front wall opened. «... this electronic bulletin board, who will display the two random names for each match. And now, without further ado, I'll display the name of the first two fighters.»

The board came to life, while name after name rolled on it, until it stopped: _"Akadō Yoroi vs. Uchiha Sasuke." _

«Please, come forward.» Hayate said, waiting for the two genins to make their way in front of him. «Are there any objection?»

«No.» they answered together.

«Then please those of you who aren't going to fight, move over there...» Hayate said, indicating the waiting platforms. «So we can begin.»

* * *

«Glad to see you made it.» Naruto said to Shikamaru, as they climbed the stairs to the hanging platforms.

«How comes you look so relaxed?» Chōji asked.

He shrugged. «Oh, we finished three days ago. We have rested ever since, because 'mi-chan didn't want me to train.»

«That's because your definition of training includes working until exhaustion, Naruto-kun.» Akimi tossed a scroll at Chōji. «You may want to restock your energy, uh?»

The Akimichi beamed at her. «You are the best, Akimi!»

She simply shrugged, then turned to Naruto and Shino. «Let's go over there, where our lazy perverted sensei is waiting. Come on, boys!»

Kakashi had stopped midway, close to Gai's team, while Asuma and Kurenai were further down the stand. As Team 7 walked, Naruto froze on his tracks, feeling a hostile gaze on him. He turned to see Gaara's piercing eyes staring at him, apparently emotionlessly, but in reality... what he could see scared him like hell.

«'to-kun?» Akimi called him, seeing he had stopped. Then she noticed Gaara as well and the redhead also "glared" at her. «Now, that is just creepy.»

«We should move on.» Shino softly said. He was a little concerned with the fact that the mysterious Sand shinobi had kind of targeted his teammates. But then again he knew they were able to fend on their own... and he was ready to help them, always. They were a Team. «They are about to start.»

The trio finally reached their sensei. Akimi and Naruto sat side by side, hanging their legs from the railings, while Shino stood behind them, near the wall.

Hayate raised his harm. «Begin!» he screamed, jumping back.

Yoroi was one of Kabuto's teammates. That alone made Akimi a little uncomfortable about him. She didn't like the way the older body carried himself either. Something was off with him. She couldn't see his face because it was covered by a black veil. He also wore sunglasses. No, she didn't like him – at all.

Sasuke stretched, his face showed eagerness and excitement for the fight. He didn't seem to be affected too badly by his Seal. He smirked.

«Mah, what do you think, sensei? Is Sasuke going to resist the pull of the Cursed Seal?» Naruto asked.

«I don't know.» the jōnin leaned back to the wall. «But I don't like the look in his eyes. He only wants revenge.»

«The **Fūja Hōin** relies on one's will to stop a curse mark. Besides, it's a very generic method.» Akimi stated. «For now, Sasuke-san is safe. But _if_ he is corrupted by power, then the protection won't do any good. The **Ten no Juin **[Cursed Seal of Heaven]is a very powerful and nasty seal... and it plays on his thirst of power.»

«Do you think you can improve the protection seal?» Kakashi asked, interested, as he watched the battle unfold. _"Sasuke is skilled, yes... but he is also arrogant." _

«Now that is a difficult question. I may, but I sincerely doubt it. It's very sticky ground, one may as well fall into the field of enslavement seals. And that is not nice.» Akimi scratched her head.

«So the only real solution would be to cancel that seal.» Naruto observed.

«Hai.» she replied. «But somehow I doubt it would be easy, you know.»

Kakashi sighed. «You are right.» he said. «I'm not sure what Orochimaru's true intentions are, but he sure went through a lot of trouble to give him that mark. It has got to be important. However, you should probably enjoy the match for now... you have done already more than enough as it is.»

They could hear the masked pride in his voice, but also the finality on it. Kakashi didn't want to talk about such delicate matters in that moment. Besides, they had a battle to watch.

* * *

«Begin!»

Yoroi frowned. _"He doesn't seem affected by the Curse Seal..." _he thought, baffled. Without minding too much, though, he rushed forward. He was certain of his own superiority.

Sasuke smirked at the approaching enemy. Finally a chance to prove himself. _"He is charging forward with so much confidence, he must want really want to get closer. Perhaps he is a taijutsu expert." _Sasuke jumped back and his hands moved through seals.

«**Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu!» **

Some few awed gasps could be heard in the crowd. The technique was pretty impressive, after all. As she could now focus more on analysing, Akimi wagered Sasuke was probably very close to master the second level of Katon manipulation. She frowned, though. _"No, it isn't his affinity." _

Yoroi cursed soundly, jumping to dodge the colossal fireball coming his way. Still, his clothes were partially burned. «Damn brat.» he spat, before launching another offensive.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. _"So he really wants an hand to hand match. Well, let's give it to him!" _he dropped in a defensive stance. _"Just come at me." _

Sasuke easily ducked the first fist that came his way, counteracting with a kick toward Yoroi's midsection. The older genin was almost hit, but managed to block the blow with both hands. And then he smirked.

Sasuke was confused. Yoroi simply grabbed his foot and didn't let go. After a mere moment, Sasuke understood why. _"My chakra... he is... taking my chakra!" _His eyes widened in shock. For a second. Sasuke was a Uchiha. He didn't get scared like that.

«You realise it, uh?» Yoroi asked, with a smirk. «It's over.»

«For you, perhaps.» Sasuke growled, using the grip of the other boy as leverage to propel himself forward. He hit Yoroi square in the chest with a punch, sending him to the other side of the arena. Yoroi yelped in surprise.

"_Did he really think I would stay still and allow him to suck all my chakra away? Is he stupid?" _Sasuke thought, with a smirk. _"And now, time to get serious." _There was something he had wanted to try for a while.

«I'll show you, brat.» Yoroi shouted, running towards him.

Sasuke smirked and activated his Sharingan. Yoroi stopped on his tracks. That was good. He was right to be scared of the Uchiha's eyes might. Widening his smirk, Sasuke relaxed and waited. He knew the other boy would eventually attack.

It was so. Yoroi chose not to be too worried by the Sharingan's appearance and resumed his charge. The two genin started a new taijutsu battle. Only this time Sasuke could easily predict what Yoroi was going to do... and counter it.

Not only, but the older boy's aim seemed to be... off. Yoroi didn't realise it, but the crowd did. The longer the two fought, the ore obvious it was. Yoroi aimed for a punch that was at least few centimetre higher that where Sasuke's head really was, and the other boy didn't even really to dodge. With another smirk, Sasuke jumped back and launched a barrage of kunai.

Yoroi was able to avoid only a few. _"Damn it, genjutsu!" _he thought._"Damn bastard!" _But the pain had successfully dispelled it and while he was hurt, Yoroi could use that at his advantage, if he pretended to be still effected from the genjutsu.

Only, Sasuke wasn't fooled. He had the Sharingan after all. He could clearly see that Yoroi's chakra pathways were clean. As Yoroi approached once again, the Uchiha simply disappeared.

«What?» Yoroi asked. «Where did he go?»

Sasuke reappeared right below him, sending him flying with a powerful kick. On the stands, several pair of eyes widened – the most noticeable being Gai's and Lee's ones.

Yoroi was visibly shocked, as he felt Sasuke shadow him in his ascent. «**Kage Buyō.**..?»

«From here on is all original, though.» the Uchiha said, referring to the fact he had copied Lee's taijutsu. «It's the end.»

Sasuke hit Yoroi another time, sending him flying down, his speed at least duplicated. The older boy's attempts to dodge were vane. The finally strike of the combo consisted in Sasuke delivering another, deadly kick into his stomach, just before Yoroi reached the ground. «**Shishi Rendan!**»

The strength of the impact was so great it created a small crater on the floor. Sasuke landed nearby, crouched on his legs. He was panting a little, but otherwise he was fine.

Hayate slowly approached Yoroi, kneeling down. The older boy was completely out of it. The man looked over at Sasuke. «I will now stop the match.» he said. «Winner: Uchiha Sasuke!»

* * *

«The teme isn't half bad.» Naruto observed, watching the black-haired boy as he slowly walked towards his team. «Could be interesting to fight him.»

Kakashi eye smiled. «It would be an interesting fight to watch. You just have to pass the preliminaries and maybe you'll get the chance.»

Naruto laughed. «It should be easy.»

Two medics rushed into the arena and took Yoroi's unmoving body out of the way.

Akimi sighed. «Don't underestimate him, 'to-kun.» she said. «Uchiha-san is dangerous.»

«You know I don't usually underestimate my enemies, 'mi-chan.» Naruto laughed. «It'll be fine. I can always use clones as cannon fodder, can I?»

«I suppose you can.» the girl smiled. «Stamina freak.»

«He is announcing the second match.» Kakashi pointed out. «Pay attention.»

«Very well. The second match will be...» Hayate coughed a couple of times. «Abumi Zaku and Aburame Shino... Please, come down.»

* * *

**JUTSU NOTEST**

**Fūja Hōin** [Evil Sealing Method]: A rank, supplementary, short range, this complex sealing method requires a long preparation time, but it efficiently suppresses evil influences (like curse marks, minor demons etc.). For greater and more powerful curse marks, like the Ten no Juin, the seal also requires the will of the user to stop said influence. Once prepared, the techniques requires a lot of handseals to be activated and causes a great deal of pain as well.

**Ten no Juin **[Cursed Seal of Heaven] S rank, supplementary/offensive, short-mid range, one of the strongest curse seals of Orochimaru. The seal boosts the strength, power and speed of a victim, allowing them to use Orochimaru's chakra but suppressing their own. This causes them to be heavily influenced by the Sannin's killing intent and personality. The seal requires great willpower to use and control and prolonged use will cause physical pain as well.

**Kage Buyō** [Shadow of the Dancing Leaf]: C rank, supplementary, short range, it allows to follow the opponent's movement in the air, usually it is preceded by a kick to send said opponent upwards.

**Shishi Rendan **[Lion Combo]: C rank, offensive, short range, after kicking an opponent in the air and following him using Kage Buyō, the user starts a barrage of hits, finally sending the opponent into the ground, with a final, lethal kick on the stomach.

* * *

**REVIEW ANSWERS: **

_**Guest: **I am sorry you feel that way. This said, I think that the concept of "Mary Sue" is very subjective. I personally don't think Akimi is a Mary Sue, but then again, she is my character so of course I don't think it. What you described is akin to the kunoichi I want her to be at the end of the story. The true end, not the Naruto series one's end. Akimi is intelligent and observant, yes, but she isn't a genius like – say – Shikamaru. She is not certainly a Fūinjutsu mistress yet. She beat Sasuke in spars because she had experience to back her up and later on Kage Bunshin training as well. Besides, none of them were going all out. I am not sure if the custom summon you refer to is Kaera or the tiger contract, but either way Kaera is just like Akamaru is to Kiba, and she basically will never really fight so... as for the contract thing, you can't just expect there are only four or five contract in all the Naruto's world, so inventing one is not that strange. And about her kekkai genkai, there are clear limits to the boosting you refer to. I explain it in later chapters (as I assume you read only up to chap 6) Well, I am probably being too polemic. I can't force you to read... nor to like the story, for that matter. Thank you for giving it a try, anyway, and for taking the time to review and give me your honest opinion, even though I can't really do anything about it, bar cancelling the story and rewriting it all. Which I am not doing. (and you'll probably never read this anyway) _

_**Neo Amon: **thank you very much for reviewing. As always, I'm glad you liked Team 7 interaction (and sarcastic Shino is just so fantastic, I love writing him) and that you agree with me about Sasuke. At least I am not the only one! You still have to wait sometime for Kyūbi's developments, hope you are too to. Also, I hope you liked the chapter. It was nothing much this time. _

_**zerodragon: **I really hope you mean it in a positive way! Lol =) Thank you for reading and reviewing!_

_**shootingcuz****: **thank you for reviewing. I answered your question by PM. =) _

_**Wizardmon0073****: **ahahaha, I always thought the same about the Oto genins. You are from the village of Sound. Duh. Well... that was why it was so funny writing about Akimi discovering their abilities. Lol. About them being strong. Well I don't really think that either. And neither does Akimi. They are good compared to the general standard of the other teams, that's all. Their abilities are quite particular if not easy to figure out. And other teams wouldn't have Naruto's clone to use a cannon fodder to buy time, so they would be surprised. Dosu can also track people with sounds very easily. I think the reason they only had their scroll up to the fight with Sasuke and company is because they were focusing on finding Sasuke, not the scroll. But that is just me. Their role will be over and finished after the preliminaries, so don't worry... _

_About the Gogyō Fūin: yes you are right. I suppose it will remain as a little hole in the story. Although I can say Akimi has studied Yondaime's seal extensively and therefore would trust in its strength. But that is the last argument I'll bring forward. But I agree 100% she was reckless! XD (one can't always be reasonable and everything after all, it would be boring...) _

_Thanks for genjutsu suggestion. I liked them, so I'll implement them in the story one point or another. I also edited the two mistakes you noticed. I didn't edit last chapter. Actually I'll probably have to edit all chapters, sooner or later. Also updating is not a problem as long as I've stuff done. I just hope I will not be struck by a writer block halfway during the story! _

* * *

**CHAPTER NOTES: **

So, I hope the chapter was up to standard. I know the scene with Team 7 was somehow repetitive of what they spoke about in the last chapters, but Kakashi is a considerate sensei in this story and it would have been logical to speak with them. So... 

Also, I look forward to hear your thoughts about Akimi's dream. I am not sure how it turned out. Also, you don't mind me putting into the story this original thing, right? It may become an Arc later on as well. 

And what about Sasuke's POV? I think I really bashed this time, but in a way I don't really mind so much. But let me know. His POV is kind of a filler anyway, so I can always change it. 

Lastly, as I told at the top, I am not happy with the preliminary fighting scene. If you have critics or suggestion to make, they are welcome. Thank you for reading! 

I meant to ask you, do you prefer if I answer your reviews via PM or do I keep writing answers at the bottom of the chapters? Let me know. 

Also, the poll about Shino's element is at a standstill. You still have time, though, because it'll be a while before he starts training with nature chakra. Vote if you want. 

Until next time! 

11


	17. Chap 16 Team 7's fights and some more

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

_Author's note: Thanks to everyone for reading! __**Answers to the reviews are at the bottom**__. _

So, I am not happy at all with this chapter. The preliminaries matches were very difficult to write. In fact, they probably turned out not so great. I can't wait to get past this. Then the juicy things will arrive... XD.

I didn't edit the chapter properly, so I apologise for any mistake... I am also dead tired, so I probably did make a lot of mistakes. Feel free to point them out. (it will spare me work after all XD)

**Team 7's fights... and some more**

«The second match is between Abumi Zaku and Aburame Shino. Please, come down.» Hayate announced.

«Ah, I get a chance of revenge against that blasted team!» Zaku shouted, jumping down.

Shino shrugged, reaching the arena with a swift Sunshin.

«Since when is Shino a show off?» Naruto asked, smirking. «We really corrupted him, then. Yatta!»

Akimi giggled. «Oh, man, this is will be the shortest match ever.»

«Mah, why do you say that?» Kakashi asked, even though he didn't doubt his student's ability, it did seem like an overkill.

«We fought Zaku in the forest. We used standard formation one.»

Kakashi nodded: so Akimi and Naruto had openly battled Zaku, while Shino waited in the shadows to ambush him. Like they did with him during the bell tests. He knew how deadly that tactic was.

«So Shino knows Zaku's abilities, but he doesn't know the true extent of Shino's... and trust me, there is a clear exploit.»

Naruto laughed as well. «Man, this is going to be awesome.»

«I actually pity poor Zaku.» Akimi nodded. «It's gotta hurt like hell.»

Kakashi shook his head. _"Damn them! Now they actually got me curious." _

«Don't worry, sensei. It'll be over quickly. You won't be in the blue for long.» Akimi said.

«Uh?» Kakashi focused on his porn. «Did you say something, Akimi?»

The girl snorted. «That doesn't work with us, sensei.» Naruto said at the same time.

The jōnin sighed. «Let's watch and support Shino, shall we?»

«GO, SHINO!» shouted Naruto. «SHOW HIM WHAT YOU ARE MADE OF!»

* * *

Shino blankly stared at his opponent. He didn't show any emotion, stoic as usual. Zaku was smirking and shifting on his legs, obviously eager to fight. He looked very confident in his own skills.

Shino mentally shook his head, while listening to his teammates laughing. They had, of course, immediately caught on his plan. It was kind of scary how well they knew each other... but certainly made them deadly as a Team.

Then Kakashi-sensei did something really stupid: encourage Naruto. One should never encourage Naruto unless it was an emergency. Naruto was hyper enough as it was.

«GO, SHINO! SHOW HIM WHAT YOU ARE MEDE OF!»

Shino cringed. Sometimes he forgot how loud Naruto could get.

«Go, Shino!» Akimi exclaimed as well, not too loud. «You don't have to shout, 'to-kun, you know Shino can hear us just fine.»

«Right, sorry. Kick ass, Shino!»

Hayate stepped between them in that moment – thank the Kami, it was going to be over soon. «Does any of you want to forfeit?» the proctor asked.

«Hell no!» Zaku shouted.

«No.» Shino simply said. «But you really should give up, Zaku-san, if you don't, you are never going to be a ninja again.»

«Ah, you are only are afraid! That is why you didn't fight me the other day!»

«Actually, I was the one to suck up all your chakra, if you must know.» Shino sounded amused. «You can't blame me for staying in the shadows. We are shinobi, after all. That's what we do.»

«Well, I'll show you now that you don't have a place to hide.»

Shino sighed. «Your wish...»

«Very well, begin.» Hayate jumped back, just as Zaku charged Shino, pushing forward his arms.

«I highly recommend you give up..» Shino warned, nonchalantly, easily jumping back to dodge his opponent trying to grab his arms. «Or you may get hurt. You'll also never be a ninja again»

Zaku stopped and smirked. He still was in range. «Shut up! You are only afraid.» he chuckled. «**Zank...**» That was a far as he got before there was a soundly explosion. The pressured air had gotten back, blowing his whole arms off, and sending chunks of burned meat all around.

Everyone's eyes, except Team 7 and a bored looking Gaara, went wide.

«That's why I told you to give up.» Shino said, appearing suddenly behind him and sweeping a kick at him.

Zaku fell on the ground. «How?»

«I'm an Aburame: I used my insects to cover the holes in your arm up, so when you tried to hit me, your attack backfired.» Shino sighed. «You should have forfeited.» And a swarm of black bugs assaulted the poor Sound nin, eating off all his chakra.

«Winner, Aburame Shino!»

The sun glassed boy shrugged again and disappeared with another Sunshin.

«Two minutes and forty four seconds.» Akimi said, patting his shoulder «That's likely going to be a record.»

Shino shrugged. «I was in luck.»

* * *

«Damn, I really hope not go against any other member of Team 7.» Kiba said, while Akamaru barked in agreement. «Shino is the only one I didn't really saw fighting in the forest and did you see how...»

«Yeah.» Sakura nodded. «They are frightening.»

«Hn.»

«Third Match: Akimichi Chōji vs. Kankurō.» Hayate said. «Please come down.»

«I don't want to fight.» Chōji whined.

«If you win, I'll treat you to lunch, Chōji.» Asuma said. «So come on.»

«Well, then...»

«Are there any objection from one of you?»

«No.» they both said.

«Very well, begin.»

«Go, Chōji!» Shikamaru cheered.

«Fatty!» Ino shouted.

Several of Konoha's genin turned to look at her, finding a little odd that she insulted her teammate like that. Then again, they didn't know Chōji like Ino did.

Chōji's eyes narrowed and one could literally see the smoke coming out from his ears.

Then, Kankurō laughed at the remark, causing Chōji to get enraged. And a enraged Akimichi is an opponent one should not underestimate. «You should give up...» he said. «Mr. fatty!»

«Don't call me fat!» Chōji roared. «I'm big-boned, that's it!»

«Whatever you say... fatty.»

Chōji roared again. «I'll show you! **Baika no Jutsu!**»

The Akimichi's stomach inflated in size, as the boy grew to be at least three times bigger than he usually was. He looked almost like a ball, halfway between funny and scary.

Kankurō raised an eyebrow.

«Hurray for the big-boned!» Chōji shouted, tucking his arms, legs and head inside of the "meat ball" his body had become. «**Nikudan Sensha**»

And then, the enormous rotating form of Chōji crashed, rolling, towards Kankurō. The speed of the rotation increased the power of the technique and even Kankurō had enough good sense to dodge. Chōji, however, followed him in what soon became a strange came of run and chase.

Eventually, Kankurō managed to get Chōji to crash against the wall. The rounded boy had imbedded himself into the wall, creating cracks all around. Kankurō was glad he hadn't be hit.

«That's it, fatty!» the sand ninja shouted, smirking. «My turn now!»

He did not expect Chōji to bounce off the wall right away, rolling towards him with even more speed than before. Kankurō was run over with a sickeningly cracking sound.

«That's why you should never call an Akimichi fat.» Ino smirked. «Well done, Chōji!»

Chōji stopped and dispelled the technique, returning to his normal size. He was panting a little, but smiled. He had won!

Hayate made a step forward. «Winner is...»

«You broke my puppet, your bastard!» a voice shouted and Kankurō shot out from the strange bundle he had put on the ground at the start of the match, leaping on Chōji.

The Akimichi was knocked out before he realised what happened. Kankurō was holding a kunai and looked a little murderous.

«... is Kankurō of the Sand.» Hayate said. _"Man, that was close.. I was about to say Chōji. " _«The match is over, put away your weapon, kid.»

Kankurō didn't seem to listen.

«Kankurō!» barked his jōnin sensei, Baki. «Kankurō, come up here!»

With a scowl, the sand genin collected the wooden rest of his once functional puppet and returned to his team, as two medics rushed into the room to collect Chōji's unconscious body.

* * *

«That was a nice piece of deception.» Naruto observed. «Poor Chōji»

«You know, in the end I think the Suna nin would have preferred to lose. He looked very angry Chōji destroyed his puppet.» Akimi said.

«Logical.» Shino fixed his sunglasses, before putting his hands back in his pockets. «It's like that to me for my insects. They are a very precious tool and companions. It's likely that doll will never be the same... he probably has to rebuild it from zero.»

«Oh.»Akimi nodded gravely. «It must be worse that I can image.»

Naruto was looking at the Sand Team, where Kankurō was trying to salvage the broken pieces of wood he had collected. He noticed Gaara was still looking sharply at him. _"Kami, he is getting a little too stalker-like for my liking...!" _He was about to tell Akimi about it when...

«And the Fourth Match will be Katora Akimi vs. Haruno Sakura.» Hayate read. «Please come down.»

Sakura cursed. «Holy shit.»

Akimi simply raised an eyebrow and jumped down in the arena. For a second, Sakura wanted to forfeit, but then she remembered her discussion with the very same girl.

«Does any of you have any objection?»

«No.» Akimi quietly said.

«No.» Sakura answered, determined.

«Very well. Begin!» Hayate jumped back.

«I know I don't stand a chance against you.» Sakura said.

«Mmm.» Akimi replied. «You can't never know the results until the very end.»

«Thank you, Akimi-san, but I know you can best me without even trying.» Sakura smiled sadly. «Nevertheless, I wish to fight you with everything I got.»

«Then I will fight you with honour, as you are a proud kunoichi of Konoha and one of my comrades.» Akimi bowed. «And I'll refrain from using ninjutsu... since my arsenal is quite an harmful one.»

Sakura rushed forward, sweeping a punch at Akimi, who ducked. Akimi counteracted with a kick, before jumping back with a couple of acrobatics. Sakura launched half a dozen shuriken at her, but Akimi grabbed one, using it to deflect the other projectiles.

Sakura took out a kunai and charged again. «**Bunshin no Jutsu!**» she shouted, creating three perfect copies of herself.

Akimi dropped in the semi crouched stance of the Tiger Style, her face serene._"She masking the Bunshin by focusing chakra on her feet... making it look like they are real. That's actually pretty good... if I weren't a sensor" _She let two Sakura's hit her, before parrying the true kunai with the metal plate of her glove. _"And she can control her chakra very well, that movement was almost deadly... if I weren't used to fight opponent as fast as Kaka-sensei and 'to-kun." _ Akimi launched a punch with her free hand, but Sakura managed to block her. «That's good.» she jumped back and swept a dozen of shuriken at the rosette.

Sakura dodged them and created other Bunshins. This time, though, it was only a decoy for her to make a genjutsu.

Akimi felt the strange sensation of cold and smiled. _"Interesting. She probably thought this would make me uneasy, as I've shown to be adept at Katon. Really, Sakura, you only needed a little push." _The musing was enough distraction for Sakura, who promptly launched several shuriken and a couple of kunai towards Akimi.

Akimi swiftly took out her Fūma Shuriken, deflecting the projectiles. She heard a hissing sound. _"Oh, that's one of my tricks as well. No matter." _ In the blink of an eye, Akimi disappeared before appearing behind Sakura.

Boom.

«That may have hurt, you know.» Akimi said, quietly. «But nice shot, Sakura-san.» and punched her in the guts. Let's be fair, though, she did not use all her strength. She had come to like the girl.

«Ouch.» Sakura whined, landing on the other side of the arena. Akimi closed onto her, sweeping her Fūma Shuriken at her throat.

«The winner is Katora Akimi.» Hayate announced.

Akimi gave Sakura an hand. «I'll look forward to a rematch.»

* * *

Naruto and Shino just nodded at her, as Akimi returned to her spot and sat down. Kakashi turned a page on his book. Had she not known the jōnin as well as she did, she would have been offended. It was more probably Kakashi just knew she was going to win.

Akimi sighed. She also had been in luck, like Shino. There were a lot of opponents there she knew she couldn't defeat. Gaara. Neji and Lee as well, if she were to wager. Especially after that night. Now that she knew she had passed, she allowed herself to think about it.

The nightmare.

She shivered. It had affected her more than she was willing to admit. Kaera approached her, silently, and jumped in her lap, purring softly. _"It wasn't just a dream, nee-chan." _

Akimi frowned. _"How do you know, Kaera?" _

"_I just do, nee-chan. It was real. Your chakra was messed up." _

"_My chakra was...?" _Akimi's frown got deeper. She needed to think about this.

«... 'mi-chan?»

Akimi suddenly realised Naruto was talking to her. «I'm sorry. Did you say something?»

«That's my line.» Kakashi spoke up.

«I was telling the truth.» Akimi murmured. «I was... thinking.»

Kakashi lowered his book, looking at her pointedly.

Naruto's cheerful smile faded for a second. «Has it something to do with you coming to sleep with me this night?»

Kakashi hid his face again in the book, but Akimi knew he was listening. Shino also looked their way. Akimi was studying her hands intently.

«Yes.»

«And...?»

Akimi fidgeted, cracking her fingers. «_Not here._» she sent, through the Loyalty Seal. «_Nightmare._»

He took her hand, squeezing. «_Your parents? Your gramps?_»

«_Kuroken. Strange dream. I've to think about it._»

«_We'll talk later._» Naruto said, turning his attention to the arena. «Who do you think is going to win?»

Akimi looked as an eager Kiba rushed at Temari. The sand kunoichi was smirking, just as she unfolded her fan.

"_What a strange weapon... mmm." _She shook her head. «He shouldn't have charged head on.»

* * *

«Fifth match: Kiba Inuzuka versus Temari.» Hayate said, after Sakura and Akimi left the arena. «Please come down.»

Temari jumped down a scowl on her face.

«Finally, Akamaru!» Kiba shouted. «We can win this!»

The dog barked in agreement.

«You think you are going to win only because I am a woman?» Temari asked, a little annoyed. She smacked her fan on the ground. «I am not one of the cry-babies of this village!»

Kiba simply smirked, his expression feral. «I probably won't even need Akamaru for this.»

«Very well. I gather you don't have any objections so...» Hayate said, looking warily between them. _"Never anger a strong kunoichi. The boy will soon learn." _«Begin!» and he jumped back.

Kiba crouched a little, forming the Ram seal. «**Shikyaku no Jutsu» **he shouted, dropping on all fours. His canine became sharper and his nails got bigger and sharper, almost claw like. His whole body was surrounded by chakra. His grin was now even more feral.

Temari raised an eyebrow and unlocked the fastening of her fan.

And then Kiba rushed at her, his speed actually impressive for a rookie genin, eventually becoming so fast his figure was blurred. But Temari looked unfazed.

«He shouldn't have charged head on.» Akimi commented.

Kiba clashed against Temari, creating a small cloud of smoke. There was a moment of silence, followed by a cough. When the smoke cleared, Kiba was revealed to be on the ground, coughing. He looked a little battered and had most likely bounced back before hitting Temari, as if stopped by an invisible shield. The kunoichi was smirking.

«Wind.» Naruto smirked. «She is very adept at it as well, since she stopped a taijutsu attack so easily.»

Akimi nodded. «It would be _**so **_fun to fight her.»

«Very sadistic of you.» Naruto replied.

«She is indeed strong.» Shino said, his hands in his pockets. «That fan looks very heavy. I think she is competent in taijutsu as well.»

«You are right. I wonder what Kiba-san will do.» Akimi mused. «He seems to be in a tricky situation.»

Temari shook her head. «You should give up, kid.» she said, opening her fan more widely to show a purple disk on it. «This is the first star. When you see the third, you'll have lost.»

«Damn it.» Kiba cursed. _«_Akamaru, let's go!»

This time, the small white puppy charged alongside his master. Kiba smirked as he extracted three smoke bombs from his pocket.

«Uh.» Naruto said. «Bad.»

«Not very smart.» Akimi nodded.

«Take this!» Kiba shouted, launching the smoke bombs at Temari. Once again, the girl's confident expression didn't change.

Temari waited for Kiba and Akamaru to enter the cloud of purple smoke that surrounded her, before unleashing a gale of wind, visibly stronger than the one she had used before. The result was obvious: Kiba and Akamaru were sent crashing away from her, as the smoke dispersed.

«Second star» Temari said.

Kiba got on his feet, coughing. «Akamaru!» he exclaimed, seeing the puppy whine a little. The dog had obviously been hurt.

«Woof!»

Kiba nodded. «Let's try it!» and he launched a pill to the animal swallowing one himself. The dog's fur became red.

«Food ration pill.» Shino observed. «That will boost his speed and strength up.»

Naruto crossed his arms. «But will it be enough?»

Kiba crouched down on all fours again and Akamaru jumped on his shoulder. Kiba crossed his hands. «**Jūjin Bunshin!**» he exclaimed, as Akamaru transformed into a perfect copy of its master.

The two had twin feral expressions and was impossible to tell them apart.

«And now let's finish this.» Kiba snarled, preparing to charge.

«Either way the match is over.» Akimi observed. «Both seem pretty confident. It's going to be a big bang.»

Kiba and Akamaru ran towards Temari, getting faster and faster. She didn't move. «**Gatsūga!**»

They started to spin, using the momentum at their advantages, becoming similar to two rotating drills... and they crashed right towards Temari.

«**Kamaitachi no Jutsu!**» the girl shouted back.

This time the wind gale was so big it was visible. The small tornado raised in front of her, protecting her. Kiba and Akamaru met it head on. It wasn't a very happy encounter.

«Ouch, that's gotta hurt.» Akimi cringed. «A lot.»

Kiba and Akamaru were sent clashing against two opposite walls and then lied there, unmoving.

«Third star.» Temari announced, rotating her fan in a fluid movement, before closing it and embedding it on the ground. «It's over.»

Hayate approached Kiba, crouching down to assess his conditions. «Kiba is knocked out. Winner: Temari.»

* * *

After the medics had carried out the unconscious form of Kiba, while Temari smirked smugly, Hayate announced: «The sixth match will be between Nara Shikamaru and Tsuchi Kin. Please come down»

«Troublesome.» Shikamaru said. «I've to fight a woman...»

«Get going, lazy ass!» Ino shouted, since she had recovered nicely. «You need to pass, or our team will look weak! If you don't, I will kick you into next week.»

«Geez, geez, calm down, woman! I'm going.» Shikamaru lazily said, slowly getting down the stairs.

Kin smirked. «I'm going to make this quick... he looks so dull.»

Naruto pouted. «Damn it, I want to fight.»

«Your turn will come up soon.» Kakashi said. «Don't worry.»

«Besides this match is going to be over soon.» Akimi observed. «Shikamaru-san is more dangerous than he looks, isn't he?»

Naruto chuckled, watching as the lazy genius sighed. Ino was still shouting at him, encouraging him. «She is so bossy.» he complained. «Poor Shikamaru.»

«Do you have any objections?» Hayate asked.

«No.»

«It's troublesome... but not.»

«Very well, then...» Hayate jumped back. «Begin!»

Shikamaru sighed, forming the rat sign. _"Let's hope this get over soon. I wager she is a long ranged fighter... she doesn't look like an hand to hand combat opponent." _

Kin watched in amazement as Shikamaru's shadow shot forward, aiming right at her feet. She didn't know what a shadow could do to her, but if the boy was using it as a weapon... then she better dodge it. She jumped back, then to the left, until Shikamaru's shadow retreated.

Kin didn't lose time and launched two senbon at him.

Shikamaru reacted immediately, dodging the attack with a duck. He heard a tingling. _"Bells..." _he realised. «I see, so you are using sound to confound me.» he said. «Next time, you are going to throw a senbon without a bell, so I'll only avoid the one with a bell.»

«You talk too much.» Kin moved her hand again.

Shikamaru looked very alert. _"I just need to pay attention." _He thought, moving slightly to dodge other two senbon, as he heard the bell tingle. However...

«Nani?» Shikamaru turned, looking behind his back as the two original bells kept tingling. _"Strings!" _he realised. He moved at the last good second, getting hit on his arm by the true projectiles. _"It was close... that was going to be a lethal one." _ He prepared to use his shadow again.

«I won't let you.» Kin smirked, moving the strings again.

Shikamaru froze, before feeling nauseous and falling on his knees.

«The sound of these special bells is lethal. The vibrations go straight into your eardrum, creating a powerful illusion.»

Shikamaru groaned, as several image copies of Kin appeared in front of him. _"Damn it, which is the true one?" _he wondered.

«You are confused, are you?» the girl asked. «And I bet you can't even use your shadow!»

Kin launched three senbon, hitting Shikamaru in the arm and shoulder. He was thrown back by the strength of the attack. _"Painful. She is very accurate with those bloody things." _

«Next time I'll throw five. Then seven...» Kin smirked.

«I thought...» Shikamaru started, stopping before finishing with a groan of pain. «I thought you said... you were going to make this quick.» he grimaced.

«I see. You are in too much pain.» Kin shook her head. «Then I'll be merciful» She extracted an handful of senbon. «I'll finish this now.» she made to launch them... only she couldn't move.

Shikamaru was the one to smirk this time. «**Kagemane no jutsu**. Success.»

«What?» Kin asked, her eyes wide. «How?»

Shikamaru slowly raised. «The strings.» he said. «They too make shadows. I hide mine in theirs.»

Kin looked down, as the shadow of the strings suddenly became darker and bigger. _"So he can manipulate his shadow as he wants... making it as thin as he want. Damn it!" _

Then she realised she was forced to match Shikamaru's movement. «What are you going to do now, eh?»

Shikamaru slowly took a shuriken out. She did as well. «I guess we'll have to see which one of us is more resilient.» the boy gravely said, before throwing the weapon.

«Nani? Are you serious?» Kin shouted, as she had to launch her shuriken as well.

Shikamaru just smirked, dodging the attack at the last goo second. Kin was forced to throw her head back as well... right into the wall behind her.

Tung.

Kin was knocked out on the spot.

«A ninja should always be aware of their surroundings.» Shikamaru said. «What a drag.»

Hayate raised an eyebrow. «Winner: Nara Shikamaru.»

* * *

«The seventh match will be between Yamanaka Ino and Tenten. Please come down.»

The two girls looked eager. Tenten was smiling with confidence and Ino looked very combative as well.

"_No." _Akimi thought. _"Yamanaka-san has no chance to use her family jutsu... and Tenten is a powerful combat type, I can see by the way she moves... and it's easy to guess, considering who her teammates are. And her sensei is Konoha's best taijutsu master." _

«Damn it.» Naruto murmured. «I really hoped it was my turn.»

«Yosh!» Lee shouted in that moment. «I wanted to fight, but now I must support my teammate. GO, TENTEN. FIGHT!»

«TENTEN! SHOW US YOUR POWERS OF YOUTH!» Gai shouted with him.

«Oh Kami.» Shino said, looking distressed. «They are even worse than you, Naruto.»

The blonde looked shocked. «Am I that bad, really?»

«Close.» Shino curtly said. «But at least you are alone.»

«If you don't count his clones.» Akimi spoke up. She raised an eyebrow as Gai and Lee kept shouting. She turned to Kakashi. «Sensei, I think I won't complain that much of your bad habits anymore. At least your hobby is quiet.»

Kakashi turned a page on his book. «I tried to read aloud once.» he said. «It didn't finish well.»

«I can imagine.» Akimi shook her head and looked down at the arena. «This fight is going to be over quickly as well.»

It was. Tenten didn't left Ino room to breathe or respite. She started moving around her, throwing weapon after weapon. And despite the fact that she was running – and her opponent was as well – Tenten's aim was rarely off.

She hit Ino at least once with every barrage she unleashed.

«She uses seals.» Naruto observed. «How good do you think she is?»

Akimi tilted her head, just as Tenten summoned out of nowhere another dozen of shurikens. «She is very adept at storage ones. She adapted them to her needs, but...»

Ino couldn't even get closer to Tenten.

«... I think that's the extent of her knowledge. Call it a gut feeling.» Akimi said, watching as the older girl easily knocked Ino out. «Overspecialisation again. She is lucky she didn't get a wind user like you or Temari, 'to-kun»

Tenten looked smugly. «This was easy.» she said, jumping back to her position.

«Uh, looks like she underestimate rookies.» Shino said.

Akimi smirked. «Indeed.» she said. «It would be _so_ fun to fight her as well...»

Naruto was looking sharply at the screen. «Choose me, choose me, choose me... yes!»

* * *

«The eight match will be between Tsurugi Misumi and Uzumaki Naruto. Please come down.»

«Yatta! It's finally my turn, dattebayo!» and the blonde Sunshined into the middle of the arena. «I've got no objections at all!»

«Neither do I.» the older Konoha genin was completely clad in black, complete with a veil over his face. He wore round glasses as well. «I am not going to go easy with you because you are a kid, you know.»

«That's good, dattebayo.» Naruto jumped again. «Let's fight!»

«Very well, then.» Hayate jumped back. «Begin!»

Misumi smirked. «This is going to be over quickly.» he rushed at Naruto, going for a punch at him.

The blond blocked with ease, albeit warily. _"No way this is what he was bragging about..." _«Oh, shit!» His eyes widened, when he saw Misumi's boy twist and lengthen in an inhuman way. However, his stupor lasted only one second, because he had seen Orochimaru doing the same thing. Only, the Sannin was way quicker than this genin...

«Nice, and now what are you gonna do?» Naruto asked, as the other boy surrounded him in a deadly grip with his twisted body.

«I can control the joints of my body with my chakra... which is why I'm gonna break every bone in your body unless you give up.»

«Thanks for telling me.» Naruto replied, unfazed. «Go ahead then.»

«Give up, punk!» Misumi shouted, tightening his grip... only to cause "Naruto" to disappear with a puff of smoke. «Nani?»

«I'll give you an hint.» Naruto said behind him. «I can create solid clones and substitute with them. And now: **Fūton: Daitoppa**!»

Once again, the difference between this genin and Orochimaru was blatant, because Misumi did not managed to dodge – no, he was sent flying towards the other side of the room. Naruto did not wait for him to land and rushed after him, enhancing his charge with chakra.

He then proceeded to punch the other boy in the stomach, knocking the air out of him. Finally, he placed a kunai to his throat. «Overconfident much, eh?» he asked.

«The winner is Uzumaki Naruto.» Hayate said, expressionlessly. «Onto next match.»

* * *

«Sensei, was that a Kekkai Genkai?» Akimi asked.

«I never heard of it.» Kakashi eye smiled. «Why do you ask?» _"Oh, all members of my team are in the finals... take that, Gai!" _

Akimi looked down, pensively. «_It looked a lot like the ability the snake-teme had. He too could twist and lengthen his body._» she signalled.

Kakashi sighed. «_I'll tell the Hokage. Now relax._» «Congratulation, Naruto.» he said, as the blonde reappeared near them with a Sunshin. «Nice match»

Naruto jumped. «Thanks, sensei.»

Akimi frowned, noticing that Gaara was once again looking at them. _"That boy has really got issues." _She nudged Naruto.

The blonde turned to look in her direction as well. «Do you think he has a crush on us or something?» he muttered.

Akimi giggled. «It would still be creepy... but I think it would be better if that were the case. His eyes look crazed, not lovely-dopey.»

«Ninth match.» Hayate said in that moment. «Rock Lee versus Sabaku no Gaara.»

«Yosh!» lee exclaimed. «I can finally fight with the power of my youth!»

Team 7 exchanged a glance.

«We ought to watch this carefully.» Naruto said. «We finally got to see his skills.»

«Right.» Akimi nodded. «Although I can't help but have a bad feeling about this. Look at his eyes.»

Naruto involuntary shivered.

«He reminds me of Orochimaru.» Shino murmured, quietly.

Even Kakashi had lowered his book. «Really?»

«Hai.» the three of them said at once.

The jōnin leaned back to the wall. «Then I'll need to pay attention as well.»

Hayate raise his arm in that moment. «Begin!»

* * *

**JUTSU NOTES: **

**Baika no Jutsu **[Multi-Size Technique] D rank, supplementary. It's a secret technique of the Akimichi clan that increases the user's body size. It can be used only for a single part of body (hands, stomach etc.) or even to turn the user into a giant, by increasing it all.

**Nikudan Sensha** [Human Bullet Tank] C rank, offensive, short to mind range, after turning themselves in a giant ball of meat, the user tuck into their body hands, legs and head, before using chakra to roll and charge the enemy.

**Shikyaku no Jutsu** [Four Legs Technique]: D rank, supplementary. It's a Inuzuka clan's techniques. The user envelopes their body in chakra, obtaining high speed and reflexes, akin to those of a wild animal. The techniques also changes the features of the user: making their canine teeth more pronounced and their nails become claw-like.

**Jūjin Bunshin** [Beast Human Clone], D rank, supplementary. This special transformation techniques, allows an Inuzuka to turn their animal companion in a perfect copy of themselves.

**Gatsūga **[Fang Passing Fang], C rank, offensive, short range. The Inuzuka and their animal partner start to spin furiously, before crashing against their opponent.

**Kamaitachi no Jutsu **[Sickle Weasel Technique] C rank, offensive, short to mid range. After creating wind with a fan, the user controls the gale to create a miniature tornado, often using it to send their opponent flying away.

**Kagemane no Jutsu **[Shadow Imitation Technique], supplementary, short range. This secret techniques is passed down generation after generation among the Nara clan. The user can extend his shadow in any form and on any surface, with the only limit of the actual size of the shadow itself. If the user's shadow meet another shadow it will merge together. Any opponent caught by the shadow will be immobilised and forced to imitate the movements of the user.

* * *

**REVIEW ANSWERS: **

_**hikari-hime 01**_**: **_thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you like the story! =) _

_**NATSUxERZA**__**: **__Jiraiya is one of my favourite characters. He will arrive soon, have faith. I love toads as well. Naruto will get very competent with seals, but I see him more like a ninjutsu freak and powerhouse. He will stay that way. I like the tip about the hair, but I doubt it would change a lot in a month time, so I'll keep him for after the time-skip. About the clothes thing, if you want to talk about it, PM me. I had already something in mind, but I always like to hear a second opinion about it. I'm glad you enjoy the story. =) Thanks for reviewing!_

**NoyB****: **_first thing, I love the name. It's brilliant. Now, I am not a big fan of Naruto-bloodline, but... I just love Kushina's chains. They are so cool! So yes... there will be chains. It will be a while, but there will be chains. (The how, when and why I'll let you wonder about...) Glad you liked last chapter. Thanks for reviewing! _

**Neo Amon**: _thank you so much for reviewing. I'm glad the chapter turned out to be fine, after all. I'm glad you liked the part with Gaara. Writing creepy Gaara is fun, actually. I'll get even more chances next chapter! About the nightmare, is actually a little bit of both. I'll leave it at this, because I would hate to spoiler, XD. I'm glad you founded it interesting. The scene was a bit a spur of the moment thing, I hadn't planned to include it there... _

**HellsMaji:**_thank you for reviewing =) I answered your question via PM. Hope you liked the story. _

**Trishi**_thank you a lot for reviewing! Don't thank me, it's fun to write it =) Reviews also encourage me a lot! It makes it even more fun. =) _

_**Wizardmon0073:**__thank you so much for reviewing! I am happy you liked the nightmare scene. Let's say that the dream was more real than usual, and leave it at that. I know that this is my fic, but I think too many OCs may make this difficult to read, so that's why I asked about Kuroken. Oh, and incineration always helps. Incineration will be included! XD. _

_I am happy you liked Sasuke's fight... it was difficult to write, not sure why. Probably cause I don't like him... well. I also used one of your suggestions in the genjutsu bit. It was logical Sasuke would use genjutsu, considering his sensei is Kurenai. (as for canon, I think they didn't seal him because Team 7 arrived just before the preliminaries ended, not with days to spare...) _

_**Guest: **__thank you for giving the story another chance! _

_You are completely right about the fact that the sentence "Never won a spar against her" was very strong. I never realised it would have so much impact. I probably didn't even want to write it that way, it was just a slip. In fact, I changed it. _

_About the Loyalty Seal: __I think you really misunderstood the thing. The two versions of the Loyalty seal are completely different. The only thing they have in common is the core – the twin seal that creates the connection – and the name. _

_Basically the slave version implies two different seals for the master and for the slave (with the master one being more complex and powerful to make the slave submit.) _

_The other version implies two __identical __seals, that only creates a connection between two people. The basic versions only makes a sort of tattoo appear, that is linked to one life-force and fades only with death. It would be a way, say, for two people to know the other is still alive should they part for a long time. So, yeah, Akimi's and Naruto's seal is NOT a slave seal. And Akimi has not some kind of evil hidden master plan ('cause I can't help but feel you doubt about her intentions.) No backdoors. _

_About your doubts on the choice to make the seal: well, you are right they are only teens (they are both 13). However they are not normal teens. One: they have killed, risked to be killed and lived through extremely stressful experiences (Akimi lost her family, Naruto was shunned etc.) making them much more mature than your average teenager. Second: they use Kage-Bunshin for training, making their "mental age" much bigger than their "actual age". Third: they are ninja, they could die on the very next mission I think it's normal for any ninja to accelerate the normal process of things (such as finding a partner etc.) Lastly, they could find someone else. Maybe they will. It's very likely, but I think they will always share a link anyway, if not as lovers, as friends, teammates and ninja of Konoha. _

* * *

**CHAPTER'****S NOTE**

So, basically I have decided I will keep answer your reviews at the bottom of the page, unless you ask me to do it via PM. Also, if my answer implies a spoiler or something, I'll probably will answer by PM anyway. It's kind of a compromise. 

I hope the chapter wasn't too dull. I made the preliminaries matches kind of quick, I hope you don't mind – and I also hope they are believable. I took great inspiration from canon episodes. Well... this is a fan fiction after all. Let me know how they are. 

The poll about Shino's element is still up. Looks like earth is winning. Go vote if you haven't already and want to. 

Next chapter up: Gaara and Lee fight and the end of the preliminaries! 


	18. Chap 17 The Preliminaries End

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

_Author's note: Thanks to everyone for reading! **Answer of the reviews are at the bottom. **_

_Right, I am SO sorry about the enormous delay in posting this chapter, but I just started the new term at university and had basically no free time at all to write or even just work a little on the story. These two weeks have just been hectic. On the bright side, I only need to edit and adjust some things right and there for next chapter, so I should update soon. At least I hope. _

_Oh, I almost forgot. The title is pitiful. I hate giving titles. (it probably will become my motto or something.) __As last time, I didn't have time to edit properly, but I'll do it soon (I hope). Sorry for any mistakes. __ I hope you enjoy! _

**What's the problem with these people? **

**The Preliminaries end**

«Ninth match: Rock Lee versus Sabaku no Gaara.»

Gaara appeared in the arena in a swirl of sand even before the proctor had finished announcing their names. His expression was blank, but somehow very threatening as well. He crossed his arms and stared ahead.

Lee looked very eager. «Yosh!» he exclaimed. «I can finally fight with the power of my youth!»

«Go, my student.» Gai placed a hand on Lee's shoulder. «Be careful. His gourd looks suspicious.»

«Hai, sensei!» Lee threw his arm in the air. «I'll fight as hard as I can!» and he jumped down the right, landing in a crouched position in front of Gaara.

Rock Lee smiled and stood up straight, putting his right arm in front of him, palm upwards, in the opening stance of his taijutsu style, the Gōken. «I'm happy I can fight with you.» he said to Gaara, in a pleasant tone. «Let's do our best, eh?»

Gaara didn't answer nor move. He was as still as a statue. Then, without any fore warning, Lee raised his left hand and brushed his cheek. «Don't get too hasty.»

With a small bump, a small piece of wood fell on the ground. It was the cover of Gaara's gourd. Some grain of sand flew around.

«Has any of you got an objection?» Hayate asked, stepping between the two in that exact moment.

«No.» Gaara coldly said.

«No, yosh!» Lee said

«Then...» Hayate raised his arm. «... begin!» and he jumped back.

The proctor hadn't even finished saying it that Rock Lee rushed forward. His speed was remarkable and superior to many of the other genin in the room. «**Konoha Senpū!» **he shouted, sweeping a powerful kick right at Gaara... who didn't even flinch.

As a matter of a fact, after all, Gaara didn't need to. The sand promptly rose between him and Lee, stopping the incoming attack. Not only, the hissing sand recoiled almost like a snake and, hadn't it been for Lee's amazing reflexes, it would have caught him – and crushed him.

Lee immediately jumped back, with a couple of flips in the air. The sand retreaded, suddenly docile.

* * *

«The kid has no chance to beat Gaara.»

Akimi raised an eyebrow at Temari's comment, which she heard clearly as if the girl was standing near her, and not on the other side of the room.

«That girl is really bitchy.» Naruto exclaimed. «I don't like her attitude.»

«Suna must really have different values than us.» Akimi said. «They are crueller... bloodthirsty. Take Temari-san, for example... she showed she is very afraid of her brother, but yet she seems proud and satisfied of his prowess.»

«You will meet man shinobi who have a darker vision of the world.» Kakashi said. «You already have encountered some: Zabuza, Orochimaru – who is really twisted. Many other are out there. Even here in Konoha there is... darkness.»

Akimi and Naruto turned to look at their sensei's serious face. «What do you...?»

«Look at the match.» Kakashi curtly said. «In future, you may need any intel you can get.»

«Gaara's sand reacted immediately. He didn't even move.» Shino commented. «If he is controlling it with chakra, he must have trained so much the sand became like an arm or leg to him.»

«This isn't the most worrisome thing.» Naruto said. «Can you smell it? That sand is soaked with blood.»

* * *

«Is that is?» Gaara said, looking at Lee who had resumed his stance. «I am not enjoying myself enough. There isn't enough...» his eyes became larger, with a very crazed look in them. «... blood!»

And then sand rushed forward so quickly that Lee could only attempt to dodge. The sand closed in a deadly grip on his ankle then, like a whip, he raised him and thrust him against the wall.

Lee groaned and fell down. He barely had the time to recover, ducking left to avoid another attack of the swarm of sand.

What followed was an amazing display of speed, strength and skill in hand to hand combat on Lee's part. The kid was ever in motion, attacking Gaara from every possible angle, with powerful kicks and punches that would have been deadly... had they hit their target. It was even more striking the way Gaara was fighting... if you call that it.

The red-haired boy had yet to move. He was standing in the exact same spot he had first arrived in the arena, his arms crossed. Sand swirled around him, protecting him and making Rock Lee's attempts useless.

«I wonder.» Shino said, observing the strange "exchange" of blows. «Why isn't Rock Lee-san using chakra?»

Akimi narrowed her eyes and stared at Lee. «I think he can't.»

«Correct, young one.» Gai thundered in that moment. «My precious student cannot properly access chakra. Ninjutsu and genjutsu are beyond his reach.»

Team 7 looked at the jōnin with wide eyes. They had almost forgotten he was standing near them. The man smiled proudly. «When I met him, Lee had no talent at all.»

Neji scoffed a little, but only an attentive eye could see it. Akimi, Shino and Naruto of course noticed it. The blonde felt a rush of irritation. _"What is with that stuck up boy? He looks like he is better of ever one else. Man, how I hate superiority complexes." _

«Admirable.» murmured Akimi, turning back at the fight.

It looked like Gaara decided to go on the offensive again. Lee had to retreat back with a long series of capers to avoid another swept of crushing sand. However, just as he had put a considerable distance between him and his foe, Gaara lowered the sand on the ground and Lee slipped on it, falling down. His eyes widened, as an even bigger amount of sand came crashing down on him.

Several surprised and startled exclamation echoed in the room.

Gai chuckled.

«Above.» Naruto said. «Impressive speed.»

His teammates nodded.

Lee did a couple of rolls in the air, hunched together almost like a ball, before landing on top of the crossed finger that towered over the arena.

«Have you noticed the way Gaara didn't even have to move his eyes to parry those attacks?» Akimi asked.

Naruto nodded. «He must have incredible senses. Maybe used hearing or smelling.»

«Or maybe...» Akimi started, a little hesitant. «... maybe the sand is acting on its own will.»

«How is that possible?» Shino asked. «I can do something like that with m Kikai, but they are alive so...»

«Vitality is relative in this world.» Akimi shrugged. «The sand could be sentient. It is soaked with chakra.»

«And blood. Which is the best chakra conductor anyway.» Naruto said. «One thing is certain. Gaara's control over it is almost perfect.»

«LEE!» exclaimed Gai in that moment. «Take them off!»

«What?» the bobbed haired kid asked. «I thought I could only do that if I was protecting someone important to me!»

«It doesn't matter!» the jōnin shouted back. «I WILL ALLOW IT! USE THE FULL POWER OF YOUR YOUTH!»

And Lee burst in a joyful laugh. «ALL RIGHT, SENSEI!»

«Those two really have got issues.» Naruto whispered.

«I must say this again: suddenly porn really doesn't seem so bad.»

«Thank you, Akimi-chan.» Kakashi eye smiled.

«Look... weights.» Shino said.

«Like one should expect from a taijutsu specialist.» Akimi nodded, as Lee slowly unfastened the rolls of weights he had tied to his ankles.

With a happy and smug smile, Lee dropped the two things from the statue. «I can finally move freely!» he yelled.

«HOLY SHIT!» Naruto shouted two seconds later, apparently without reason.

But then almost every person in the room got a similar reaction. Akimi gaped in shock. Shino appeared a little surprised – which was astonishing. Why?

The two weights had literally created two craters in the ground. There were even clouds of smoke caused by the impact.

«It must be at least a ton!» Akimi murmured. «That's... inhuman!»

«So he clearly can use chakra internally... or he would not be able to sustain such strain.» Shino emotionlessly said.

Akimi nodded in agreement. «Probably it's a problem with his tenketsu or coils then.»

Gai gasped. _"Kakashi... your brats are impressive." _

Lee tensed.

«This is going to be awesome. He is about to move.» Naruto exclaimed, happily. «Go, Lee!»

"_He sympathises with him. Probably because he used to have "no talent" at all as well." _Akimi thought. «It'll be a good show.»

«GO!» shouted Gai.

«Yes, sir!» the boy stood at attention and then... disappeared.

What followed was a replay of Lee's earlier barrage of attacks against Gaara. Only it was fast-forward. Lee speed had been impressive before... now it was simply unbelievable. Naruto thought he could surpass that speed only when influenced with Kyūbi. _"I could keep up with him with his weights on, but... like this!" _

«He is even faster than Haku.» Akimi said. «On par with Kakashi-sensei.»

«I can barely keep up with his movements.» Shino sounded impressed... which was rare. «The sand as well.»

In fact, Gaara's eyes had widened. The sand was able to stop each blow, but every time it got more difficult. Lee was going to breach his defences very soon.

Lee almost hit Gaara on the head with a punch.

«Look! He is surprised.» Naruto exclaimed. «This means the sand is really acting on its own. If Gaara were directing it, he would be focused, not astonished.»

«Incredible.» Akimi murmured. «I wonder what gave this capability... it's extraordinaire.»

«Lee is going to hit soon.» Naruto said in that moment.

«Hai.» Shino agreed. «He has been raising his speed with each blow. Waiting for an opening...»

The taijutsu specialist rolled into the air, high above Gaara, before clashing down and kicking the red-haired boy right into the head, with both legs.

«He got him!» Tenten exclaimed, cheering for his teammate.

«An explosion of youth!» thundered Gai.

Lee retreated using the momentum from the attack, and his speed caused smoke to rise from the ground as he slid back. He smirked. He wasn't finished.

And in fact he launched another offensive right away. This time, Gaara actually moved to brace himself. He stepped forward and swept the air with his right arm. The sand reacted even faster than it did before, swiftly raising a shield in front of him. Only Lee didn't attack from that point...

Gaara turned, his expression a mixture of surprise, anger and contempt, as Lee danced around him, moving so fast one couldn't pin point his exact location. His sand flew around him, almost frantically and nervously.

«This further proves your theory!» Shino said. «Gaara doesn't know where Lee is... but the sand still shields him.»

«It has a limit though...» Akimi murmured. «It can't keep up forever...»

«Over here!» Lee mocked after few second, right before he punched Gaara right into the head. He had breached though the sand defences.

Gaara was sent crashing several meters away from Lee, as the bobbed haired boy resumed his initial stance, a small smile of satisfaction on his lips. _"I know that must have hurt." _

Gaara slowly arose. His posture had changed.

«That is not pain.» Akimi said, startled. «That is anger.»

«How on earth was he not hurt by that punch? It would have possible knocked even Naruto out.» Shino said. «Incredible.»

«He probably had some kind of back up protection.» Naruto said.

Gaara had his shoulder hunched down and his fists were clenched. His head was bowed down. Then sand started to fall down on the ground from his face.

Lee's eyes widened.

And as Gaara raised his head, Team 7 assumptions were confirmed. His face was... crumbling, like a broken mask of sand. And his expression was... terrifying. His mouth was opened in a crazy wide teethed grin of madness. His eyes were opened wide and bloodstained. He was trembling.

«Now, that doesn't look good.» Naruto said, darkly. «He is out of it. Crazy. Completely crazy...»

Akimi tilted her head. «Self preservation.» she said. «He looks more like a cornered animal. One that has nothing to lose and would do anything to bite back.»

The sand started to swirl around Gaara, in what looked like a protective manner... but also a threading one towards whoever would try to attack him. It slowly recomposed Gaara's face, making him return to his usual impassable self with his arms crossed.

«Well, it looks like he is in control again.» Shino said. «But that moment showed our dangerous he really is. Perhaps Lee-san should forfeit.»

Gai looked at him with wide eyes. «Why? Because he can't use ninjutsu or genjutsu?» he shouted. «Lee isn't to give up, he'll fight to the end.»

«His... disadvantage has nothing to do with this» Akimi said. «Gaara is on a complete other level. It would be dangerous to fight him _even with_ ninjutsu or genjutsu.»

«It is because Lee is a taijutsu specialist that he can win this battle.» Gai said. «I won't stop the match, if that is what you are implying.»

«Incredible perceptive.» Akimi murmured. «But...»

«Lee must prove something to the world.» Naruto said. «And this is more important to him than everything else. Sometime you just have got to fight.»

Akimi bit her lips. _"Don't bring up the forest... don't bring up what happened in the forest... wait a second! Naruto can't have forgotten about that. He is saying this despite what happened with Orochimaru." _ She nodded, accepting her teammate's judgement.

«I think Lee's dream is showing the world what he can do.» Naruto said. «If he can't do that, then survive would not do him a lot of good.»

Gai looked at the blonde boy with a new gaze. _"This unexpected." _«Lee has still a couple of tricks in his sleeves. Just watch.» and he nodded at Lee _"And I hope he can't finish it soon. Because Lotus puts an immense strain on the body." _

* * *

"_What an incredible defence!" _Lee thought, watching his foe with narrowed eyes. _"I have no choice but put more pressure on the sand... and I think I know exactly what will do the job." _

Lee looked above to see his sensei's approval. He smiled and started to slowly unwrap his bandaged arms. Gaara was still unmoving and unfazed looking again. Lee took a deep breath... and disappeared again. He started to run in circles around Gaara, going so quickly that a ring of smoke rose from his path.

«Is that it?» Gaara looked even more bored. «Hurry up and come!»

«As you wish!» and Lee attacked suddenly, sweeping a kick on his foe's stomach and sending him upwards.

«The sand is stopping him. He won't float.» Tenten shouted. «Damn it!»

«It isn't over.» Gai said. «Look.»

Lee kicked Gaara again. And again. He kept going, relentlessly, each time sending Gaara higher and higher. Lee's face was contracted from the strain and concentration the combo required.

Gai closed his eyes and crossed his hands, as if praying.

The others, namely Team 7 Kakashi included, were instead keenly watching Lee's attack. They didn't miss Lee's brief cry of pain, which caused the slightest interruption in the chain attack... a break that Gaara was more than ready to exploit. However, Lee continued as nothing had happened, performing a perfect Kage Buyō. He bounded Gaara to himself with the bandages and started to spin.

«Take this!» Lee screamed, as the two became a bur of movement. «**Omote Renge!**»

And, without stopping the dizzying rotation, Lee crashed on the ground taking Gaara with him. The collision caused an enormous crater to form, along with a deafening sound. The whole area was covered by a high cloud of smoke.

Lee landed besides the cracked concrete, in the middle of which lied a battered Gaara. His armour of sand was cracked.

«Is he dead?» asked Shikamaru, shocked.

Hayate hesitantly approached the scene, to assess the red-haired boy's condition, when... some sand fell into Gaara's "body", revealing it was merely a shell. Little by little, Gaara fell apart. It was only a clone of sand.

Lee's eyes widened and he trembled in shock. «What?» he exclaimed.

«It can't be! When did he switch?»

«You closed your eyes and prayed, Gai. Lee stopped for a fraction of second. From the pain.» Kakashi sombrely said. «That's when it happened.»

«Damn it.» Naruto said. «Had it worked, it would have been...»

«... very effective, if not lethal.» Akimi concluded for him. «Rock Lee-san looks, well, weary.»

«The Lotus is a double-edged technique. One must use an incredible speed for a long amount of time.» Kakashi said. «It puts a great strain on the body. Greater than you can imagine. He must be in pain all over.»

«Oh, kami...» Akimi murmured.

«Damn it, Lee!» Tenten exclaimed.

«He should give up.» Neji emotionlessly said. «He is fated to lose.»

Silence followed the comment. It didn't last long... and Naruto exploded. «How dare you say this about your own teammate! TEME!» he shouted.

* * *

Lee looked with shocked eyes at the sand clone. _"Bad... very bad." _He felt a presence at his back and slowly turned, to see Gaara rise from the ground behind him. His armour was cracked and sand fall above his head like a shower. His expression was once again the terrifying crazed anger. He gulped. _"I can't properly move... damn it!" _

Gaara's cruel smirk widened, as he crossed his finger in the ram seal. Three swirling columns of sand raised in the air, before crashing down toward Lee. The bobbed haired kid couldn't even react and was struck down. He was sent flying back, landing badly on the ground.

Lee groaned, trying to get up, but his legs trembled before giving it away and he fell down again. Gaara smirked even more cruelly, making the ram seal again.

This time an enormous river of sand raised behind him, before smashing down on Lee like a tsunami. The only thing the taijutsu user could do was cross his arms defensively in front of his head, bracing himself to the impact. He was swept away, right against the wall. The whole room trembled because of the collision.

Lee wasn't even given the time to respite, because another swarm of sand clashed against him, creating a blinding cloud of reddish smoke. When it faded, the battered body of Lee was seen in front of the wall, where a deep crack had formed. He had his arms stretched in front of him, palms upwards, in a desperate defensive demeanour.

Gaara smirked again and sent fort his sand again. This time, Lee was able to dodge. He made a couple of hesitant flip in the air and landed crouching in front of Gaara, who seemed to slow down a little, as if playing with his opponent. The sand was still floating around, but it was docile.

Lee stood there, helpless, his arms crossed to guard his head. He could only open one eye and was panting visibly. It was amazing he could even stand, actually.

Once again, a column of sand raised and run over Lee, crushing him. The poor boy screamed in utter agony. The sand retreated and then attacked again, this time Lee attempted to dodge – and the sand let him.

«Gaara is toying with him.» Kankurō smirked. «Then he will kill him.»

Akimi and Shino gasped hearing that. They already believed Gaara had no qualms killing, but hearing his own brother saying it in such a matter of a fact way was... disturbing.

Neji shook his head and crossed his arms, looking at the enraged Naruto. «It's useless. I was just stating the truth.» he said. «His only strong suit, taijutsu, is subpar even by genin's standards. He can't win.»

«Why, you bast...!» Naruto stopped, fuming. «You should be supporting him, not placing him down. I would like to see you pansy self facing an opponent like Gaara! You probably would run with your head down.»

Neji internally seethed, but his face didn't show it. «I couldn't care less about what a dropout like you thinks. It's no wonder you sympathise so much for Lee. You are alike. A dropout will always be a dropout.»

«An ass will always be an ass.» Naruto mocked. «Unless he gets his own ass kicked. That's it. I don't know what is wrong with you, but you definitely need to get your ass kicked.»

Akimi placed a hand on his forehead and Shino sighed.

«... and I think I am the right person to do it.» Naruto cheerfully side.

«You have a big mouth.» Neji spat. «But you can't back it up. You won only because of luck, dobe.»

«I'll show you my luck, teme!» Naruto shouted, rushing forwards. Neji chuckled and dropped in what looked like a defensive stance... and Kakashi appeared between them, just as Akimi grabbed Naruto from behind, from below his shoulders.

«You'll get your chance to kick his ass.» Akimi whispered. «Now it's not really the right moment.»

«You want to defend Lee's honour. That is fine. Just do it after he finishes fighting. He may use your support right now.» Kakashi sternly said.

Naruto clenched his fists. «All right.»

Akimi released him. And they looked back at the arena, where Gaara was still smirking and "playing" with Lee. Gai was observing the scene with watering eyes, so taken by it that he hadn't even noticed his other student about to fight.

Then Gai smiled at Lee. And Naruto shouted again, as powerfully as he could (which was very loud in fact). «GO, LEE: SHOW HIM!»

Lee was surprised. He hadn't even the chance to befriend the blonde boy... and yet he was cheering on him. And Gai-sensei had smiled at him. _"I can do this." _And his expression became confident once again as he fell in the Gōken stance.

This time, he dodged the swarm of sand easily, with his normal speed. He could keep up with Gaara's sand again. The game was back on.

«JUST LIKE THAT, LEE!» Naruto shouted again. Tenten joined him in cheering the bobbed haired kid.

«Still... he can only dodge.» Shino murmured.

«Oh, no!» Gai smirked. «The Lotus in Konoha blooms twice.»

«Gai, you **didn't!**» Kakashi said, with an unusually stressed voice. «How could you...?»

«That is correct. Just as you think, Kakashi.»

«That boy – a genin – is able to open the eight inner gates?» Kakashi exclaimed. «How many can he open?»

Gai looked down. «Five.»

«That is amazing!» Akimi exclaimed. She stopped. «Although it's quite reckless. Very quite reckless.»

«You know what the eight gates are?» Kakashi asked. «Never mind...»

«What are they?» Naruto asked. «Why do you look so worried?»

«The gates are special points in the body were a high amount of tenketsu are located. They help regulate the overall flow of chakra. By opening them, one can literally eliminate any physical limit a body has.» Akimi said. «In the process one obtains an incredible source of power... that is the very definition of double edge sword.»

«Correct.» Gai said, impressed. «How do you know?»

Akimi ruffled her hair. «Long story. Someone told me once.»

«Open gate. Energy Gate. Life Gate. Wound Gate. Limit Gate. View Gate. Wonder gate. Death Gate.» Gai said. «By opening the first gate, located in the brain, someone can use the entire potential of their muscles. That is Front Lotus. The second gates temporally revitalises the body. The third gate increases blood circulations and enables someone to use Reverse Lotus. The fourth and fifth gates basically enhance one strength and speed even further... but opening them is an enormous risk.»

«Even death.» Akimi concluded, darkly.

«There is a limit, Gai... by all means I should have lost faith in you.» Kakashi said. «However, I think I can understand why you did it.» he glanced at his own students.

They all looked extremely innocent. Too innocent.

Gai sighed. «Lee has something important he needs to prove. He is ready to die for it. We must respect this.»

Kakashi nodded. «And we do.»

* * *

Lee sighed. It was time to use it. He crossed his arms around and focused. He felt the rush of energy completely overwhelm him. He conveyed such an amount of chakra, that air itself started to spin around him creating a visible column around him. It was impressive.

Gaara sneered. «I don't know what are you trying to do, but it won't do any good. You are going to be finished.»

Lee nodded to himself. _"Yes. Either way... it's over." _He increased again the power rush. His hair became spiked, as visible chakra started to swirl around him. His skin had become reddish and brown, full of strange wrinkles – caused by the eruption of further veins appeared on the corner of his eyes, together with a faint green aura around him, just as he opened the fourth gate.

«Amazing.» Naruto said. «His power is so great...»

«... but it comes at a cost.» Kakashi said, sighing. «His muscles are most likely ripping right now.»

Gaara looked mildly impressed as Lee shot forward and reappeared in front of him, so quick it was almost as if he had teleported. He reappeared in front of a shocked Gaara, delivering a devastating kick to his chin.

Gaara was helplessly sent flying upwards and his armour of sand cracked – the shield couldn't possibly keep up with Lee's newfound speed. In fact, the power and quickness the kid had gained even created a wind of dust that blew against the spectators, forcing them to guard their eyes.

When the cloud disappeared, Gaara was well above their heads. Lee was nowhere to be seen. The sand was desperately trying to reach its master, without success. Then, the taijutsu specialist appeared again, kicking Gaara upwards... and then downwards, as if he was playing a tennis game with himself – a game where his foe was the ball.

The audience looked in amazement as Lee flew around Gaara, hurling him back and forth, left and right. Each blow was dealt with lethal strength and speed. The armour of sand was cracking.

«You are though, eh?» Lee landed on the ground for a split second, before jumping high again to reach Gaara. His movement slowed down ever so slightly, though: his muscles had rippled. Only few realised that, first of all a both worried and proud looking Gai.

«It's time to finish this!» Lee shouted. «Fifth Gate: open!»

As incredible as it sounded, Lee's speed and power were boosted again.

«That amount of chakra alone is enough to almost burn one's system!» Akimi shouted. «It's insane...»

«... and awesome!» Naruto exclaimed. «Lee is really strong. Gaara cannot keep up with him.»

In fact, Lee descended on Gaara with inhuman speed, delivering a violent and lighting fast barrage of punches in his stomach. Then, he kicked him away and used his bandages to capture his foe. Thus, to finish the lethal combo, Lee dragged Gaara back and punched him in the guts again with all his enormous strength, sending him crashing down on the ground. «**Ura Renge!» **

Another cloud of dust rose, severely blocking the visual of the spectators.

«Damn it, what happened?» Shikamaru asked. «I couldn't see!»

«Gaara...» Temari murmured, with something in her voice akin to worry.

Gai paled.

«Shit.» Akimi and Naruto murmured at the same time, looking at each other. A brief silent conversation followed. And a split second decision was made.

Lee landed roughly on the ground. His body was completely torn apart. As the dust faded away, Gaara's silhouette appeared little by little.

«No...» Lee said.

Gaara was very much alive and well, if not a little battered. His gourd had turned to sand, guarding him and cushioning his fall. The sand started to swirl maliciously around him. He moved his right arm forward, his hand slowly closing as if grasping an invisible object.

The sand shot forward, shaping itself like grotesque arms, approaching Lee inexorably. The bobbed haired kid could only attempt, desperately, to crawl away... with no avail. The sand reached him.

The sand made to close on Lee's right arm and leg, only...

«What the hell?» Kankurō asked to nobody in particular, as most of the sand was strangely sent flying away. The grip Gaara had on Lee's was compromise, holding barely into his hand and foot.

He didn't really bother Gaara. _"Damn him, I'll make him pay when the time comes!" _he thought, having seen the strange orange loving brat using high level wind manipulation to protect Lee. «**Sabaku Kyū!» **Gaara slowly drawled, his voice harsh and cruel. The sand mashed with sheer pressure whatever grip it had left on Lee.

Lee screamed in pain, as bone, flesh and muscle were literally torn apart to dust. He soon passed out, his body wore out from the strain.

«Try to stop this now...» Gaara murmured, darkly. «**Sabaku Sōsō!**»

This time, Lee couldn't move and a huge amount of sand, almost like a waterfall, descended towards him.

«Don't move.» Kakashi ordered, seeing Akimi and Naruto tense.

With a blur of speed, Gai appeared in front of his student. The jōnin simply waved the sand off and stared at Gaara, as if daring him to attack again.

Gaara looked beyond shocked. His eyes were wide, his expression unbelieving. «Why...» he asked. «Why did you stop me?»

«He is...» Gai slowly said. «... a precious student I love.»

Gaara almost sneered, but didn't say anything. He slowly raised and, even as the sand reformed his gourd and armour, he slowly walked back towards the railings and the platform where his team was. «I'm done.»

The moment Naruto and then Gai intervened, Lee lost the match. Hayate knew it. He slowly raised his arm. _"For a second, I thought the kid was about to die. It was a close call..." _«Winner, Gaa...»

The red haired boy stopped and slowly turned. Several gasps of surprise rose from the audience. Lee had risen up again, shakily, and covered in blood.

«Impossible.» Kakashi said. «He shouldn't be able to stand. He opened 5 gates... he had his hand and foot crushed.»

Gai started to cry and hugged the boy. Slowly, they understood why: Lee was unconscious.

«Winner: Gaara.» Hayate said.

Gaara looked at Gai and Lee for some seconds, with hatred in his eyes. But both Naruto and Akimi noticed something else in his gaze... longing.

«Curious.» Akimi said.

«Very.» Naruto turned his gaze to Lee. «Do you think he...?»

«He doesn't look good, does he?» she murmured. «But I think Rock Lee-san has enough determination to prevail.»

The watched in silent as medics rushed into the arena and examined Lee, before taking him away even more quickly, a serious looking Gai going with them.

«It's very likely he is not going to be a ninja again?» Naruto repeated what he heard from the medics. «That is...»

«Terrible.» Kakashi said. «But there is still chance he could recover. And it's because you intervened. Although, you could have risked disqualification.»

«I would have gladly taken it.» Naruto spat back, crossing his arms.

Kakashi eye smiled. «Had it happened, I would have made your life hell.» he said, taking out his orange book.

Akimi seated down again and Naruto followed her, with a last half glare to his sensei. «So?»

«It was very harsh.» Shino commented. «He is a senseless killer.»

«Yet, despite what we said earlier, he is very different from Orochimaru.» Akimi said.

«Yeah.» Naruto agreed. «His eyes are void and frightening. It's like this is all Gaara has ever known: death and blood. Orochimaru enjoys it, but Gaara... Gaara has no choice. The look in his eyes... it's frightening familiar.»

Kakashi tensed at this. «What do you mean?»

«He will be our most dangerous enemy.» Akimi said instead, sensing Naruto didn't want to answer. «He can manipulate sand as it were an arm or a hand. His defence is almost flawless. And he had no restrictions... he won't hesitate to kill. He _wants _to kill.»

Naruto shrugged. «I stopped his sand with wind, but then again he didn't expect it. I wonder if I could cut through his shell.»

«Mmm.» Akimi pondered this. «The thing is chakra reinforced, so it's hard to say. Shino, what do your insects say?»

«His chakra is very malign. They probably could not absorb it anyway, the sand would stop and crush them. Do you think you can burn the sand? Turn it into glass?»

«It's not normal sand.» Akimi repeated. «I don't think I can. Perhaps, Suiton would be the smartest element to use against it.»

«It would make the sand heavier and more difficult to manipulate.» Kakashi observed. «But it's not likely there will be a great water surge in the arena.»

«Yeah, but that's what seals are for...» Naruto smirked. «Can you pull it off, 'mi-chan? A seal that pours water?»

«Possibly. It depends how much time of respite we are given between this and next exam.»

«The tenth and final match will between Hyūga Neji and Kinuta Dosu. Please come down.»

* * *

«Arrogant bastard.» Naruto spat, watching Neji walk down. «And he is even going to win.»

«You should be happy.» Akimi replied. «It means there is a chance you'll fight him in the main matches.»

«I hope so.» Naruto gritted his teeth. «He really pissed me off.»

«He needs a reality check.» Akimi shrugged. «Although, something must have made him this way. Nobody is born that arrogant. Possibly it's his clan way.»

«His clan?»

«Has any of you got an objection?»

«No.» was the answer.

«Then, begin!» Hayate jumped back.

Neji sighed. «**Byakugan**!» he shouted, as the veins around his eyes thickened and became visible. He had startling, piercing white pupils.

«Really, to-kun, you don't remember who the Hyūga are?»

«Wait a sec, are they that noble stuck up clan with the crazy 360 degree vision?»

«Yeah, and they can see chakra.» Akimi said. «Which is why Hyūga-san is going to win very quickly. Dosu doesn't stand a chance.»

Naruto smirked. «He probably still hurts for your Fire Style's blows.»

«You should give up.» Dosu said in that moment.

«You are fated to lose.» Neji replied, blankly. «Spare yourself the effort.»

«Maybe they should compete for which one is more arrogant.» Naruto sighed. «Really, what's wrong with these people?»

«You said it.» Shino answered. «They need their ass kicked.»

«With Dosu it didn't seem to work.» Akimi giggled. «But maybe this time Hyūga-san will do the job.»

Just then, Neji shot forward, with an impressive speed – not as great as Lee's, but superior to the average genin, maybe even chūnin. He hit Dosu in the right arm before the sound genin could even react.

«Now, I closed the tenketsu in your arm. You cannot use that strange gauntlet anymore. What are you going to do now?»

«What? How?»

«I could see the chakra flowing in it. I decided nothing good would come out of it, so I disable it. What are you going to do now?»

«You bastard!» Dosu tried to hit Neji straight in the guts, enraged. It was a pitiful attempt.

Neji lazily dodged and hit Dosu another couple of time, his hands delivering quick and almost delicate strikes all around his body. Two second later the Sound genin fell down, unconscious.

«You should be happy I didn't kill you.» Neji said, with contempt. «You were fated to lose.»

«He really needs to get his ass kicked.» Naruto exclaimed.

«Winner: Hyūga Neji.» Hayate coughed. «The Preliminary ends here.»

* * *

The losers remained on the platforms, along with the jōnins, while the winners were lined once again in front of the crossed giant hands.

Hayate stood flanked by Ibiki and Anko, the Hokage behind him in the same position he was before. «To those of you who have passed to the Third Exam... congratulations!» Hayate said.

The Hokage fixed his hat. _"Mmm... there are Seven Konoha... including five rookies, and three Suna. Mmm. Every member of Team Kakashi passed. I should have guessed it." _«I will now explain the Third Exam to you.» he said. «You will fight in front of everyone. We wish you to show your abilities, as your country representative power. Therefore, the main matches will be held in one month.»

«What?» Naruto asked, a little deflated. «They are not going to be right now, right here?»

Hiruzen smiled at the blonde's enthusiasm. «No. This time will allow us to make the suitable preparations. We are going to announce to the Counties' Daymōs and Head Ninja of the villages that the preliminaries have ended. One month will be needed to gather them here to see you fight. It will also allow you candidate to prepare.»

«What do you mean? Explain better!» Kankurō shouted.

«You can use the time to prepare... to know your enemies and yourself better. The preliminaries that just fought were instead like real life combat: both parties didn't know anything of each other. But there are those of you who have revealed everything in these matches... to make things fair, you need to work hard and improve in this month: you may learn new tricks, think of a strategy against a specific ability that your opponent has shown, or to cover a specific weakness you have revealed.» The Hokage looked seriously at the genins, puffing out smoke «So, I want to let you go to relax and prepare, but before that, we need to do something important...»

Anko moved towards them. «You all need to take one piece paper from this box.» she ordered.

«Everyone got one?» asked Ibiki in his roaring voice, after a while. «Tell me what you have got, starting from the left.»

«Ten.» Temari said.

«Five.» Kankurō answered.

Next was an impassable Gaara. «Six.»

«Two.» Neji curtly said.

Tenten looked determined. «Eight.»

«One, dattebayo» Naruto screamed.

Akimi raised an eyebrow. «Seven.»

Shino was up next. «Three.»

«Nine. Troublesome.» Shikamaru yawned.

«Four.» Sasuke replied, darkly exited.

Hiruzen nodded. «Good. We will now tell you the matchups for the next tournament.»

«Nani?» Naruto yelled.

«That's what we drew for?» Shikamaru exclaimed. «What a drag.»

Ibiki showed them the plan for a tournament. First match: Uzumaki Naruto vs. Hyūga Neji. Second match: Aburame Shino vs. Uchiha Sasuke. Third match: Kankurō vs. Sabaku no Gaara. Fourth match: Katora Akimi vs. Tenten. Fifth match: Nara Shikamaru against Temari. The winner of match one against the winner of match two. The winner of match three against the winner of match four. The winner of match five against the winner of the second semi-finals. And then the final itself.

«It's unfair! Why did my brothers got paired up together! That will lessen our chances of promotion!» Temari shouted.

«I am sorry to break it to you, Temari-san.» Akimi spoke up. «But beside the fight between you and Shikamaru-san, the other matches are all Konoha genin against a Konoha genin. I don't see it as unfair.»

Temari huffed, as Shikamaru raised his hand. «Besides, I have a question.» he said. ««If this is a tournament it means there is only a winner, right? So only one person can become a Chūnin?»

«No, that's not how it is.» Hiruzen replied. «In the matches there will be judges – including me, Kazekage-dono, the Daymōs and other Head Ninjas – and you will be graded depending on your performance. So you could be promoted even if you don't pass the first round.»

«So we can all become Chūnins?» Temari asked.

«Or none of us.» Akimi observed.

«Exactly.» The Hokage nodded. «Winning only gives you more time and chances to show your abilities. Do you understand? It there any other objection?»

Temari nodded, gulping. No one else dare to speak up.

«That's it.» Hiruzen smiled. «We are adjourned until next month.»

* * *

**Later on, Katora Residence**

Kakashi sat on the single armchair in the vault, his arm crossed in front of him, as he watched his genins eat. He had bought them takeaway dinner to congratulate them on their victory, but he wanted privacy to discuss something with them.

«I am sure Shino must go to his family very soon, so I would like to get this over quickly.»

Akimi smiled tiredly. «Something is up. Too many things happened in one simply exam.»

«You mean Orochimaru, right?» Kakashi looked serious. «It's very likely. I have a meeting with the Hokage later on.»

«You planning on getting there late, sensei?» teased Naruto.

«It depends.» Kakashi looked at them. «Are you three all right?»

«We didn't get hard fight.» Shino said. «And the only serious match was Rock Lee-san's one. We discussed it there, didn't we?»

«Akimi, there is a possibility you are gonna face Gaara in the matches...»

«Yeah.» she shrugged. «I have a couple of thinks I want to do, without letting a maniac killing me in a tournament. My goal is to become a chūnin, not to win the bloody thing. I'll try to fight him, but...»

«You are gonna forfeit if he gets crazed, or I'll step in.» Naruto shouted.

«I am sure, 'to-kun. Likewise with you.»

Kakashi chuckled a little, to loosen the tension up. «So that is clear, right? What happened yesterday nigh, Akimi?»

«Ah, right.» she sighed. «I had almost hoped you forgot about that. It was a... well, some kind of nightmare.»

«Some kind of?» Shino asked. He knew she had haunting dreams time to time, but they never seemed to affect her like this.

«Kaera-chan woke me up.» Akimi said. «She seems to think the nightmare was true.»

«True? What do you mean true, dattebayo?»

Akimi didn't answer immediately. «I mean, I was in my bed, physically, but it was like my... subconscious was really over there... with **him.**»

«Him? That Kuroken person?» Kakashi asked.

She nodded.

«So it was like a genjutsu?» the jōnin asked.

«Perhaps. I think he somehow felt my distress over what happened in the forest. And he was able to reach to me.»

Kakashi sighed. «It looks serious. I never heard of such an ability before. I'll spoke to the Sandaime about this, but... you shouldn't really sleep alone.»

«Kaera is with me.»

«Still. Drop the privacy seal from your room. Let Naruto help you.»

Akimi just smiled. «Oh, that's no problem.»

«Well then.» the jōnin raised up. «Hokage-sama is waiting for me. Relax for today and tomorrow, you'll have plenty of time to train later. I'll see you tomorrow at sunset, usual place.» and he left the room.

* * *

Hiruzen had a headache. A piercing one for that matter. Not even his pipe had the usual effect on him. He spent the last few hours discussing with his Intelligence Department, especially about that Kabuto kid, and then with his ANBU commander and with Shikaku, the Jōnin Commander, about the repercussion of Orochimaru's reappearance.

Then, the Elder Council had to bother him about Sasuke's cursed seal and the look in Danzō's eyes promised nothing good. And now this...

He looked at the letter on his table. _"Well, if this is true, it's probably got to be the only good news today. Man, I hope it's true..." _

«Hokage-sama.» a lazy voice said, startling him.

Hiruzen turned to the window. «What did I tell you about using the door, Kakashi?»

«To do it?» the jōnin shrugged, turning a page on his porn. «It's more fun like this. You look bothered, Hokage-sama.»

«How can I not be?» Hiruzen said. «With everything that is going on...»

«I have a couple of things to tell you about.» Kakashi said.

«My headache is going to get worse.» Hiruzen mumbled. «Go ahead.»

«First thing is quick.» the jōnin eye smiled. «The genin who faced Naruto in the preliminaries, Tsurugi Misumi. Apparently, Orochimaru could move his body like that as well. I thought it was a kekkai genkai, but perhaps is one of his "_experiments."_»

«And if you consider Kabuto was his teammate...»

«It's suspicious all right. I suggest you question him and possibly the other kid as well... he is the one who fought Sasuke, Akadō Yoroi.»

Sarutobi breathed in another intake of smoke from his pipe. «I'll sic Ibiki and Anko on them. Hopefully they are still in the infirmary or at least around.»

«Kabuto disappeared?»

«Hai.» Sarutobi sighed, crossing his arms. «ANBU tailed him as he left the tower. He met with Orochimaru... and then he disappeared.»

«He knew he was being followed then.» Kakashi crossed his arms. «ANBU didn't hear what they talked about?»

«No.» the Hokage sighed. «But something tells me Kabuto is still in the village. I am about to ask you something you won't like, Kakashi...»

«Rejoin ANBU?»

«Just for a while. I have the council on my neck. They want Sasuke protected and this Kabuto smoked out and possible hunted down as well. You'll command a specific tracking team.»

«I want time to spend with my team.»

«Fair enough. One day per week. Don't worry, I'll take care of trainers for them. I am sure Shibi will be happy to take his son under his wing... if nothing else for clan's pride. And I have something special in mind for Akimi and Naruto.»

«I trust in you, Hokage-sama... is this person powerful?»

«More powerful than me.»

Kakashi eye smiled, gasping in understanding. «This is good, Hokage-sama... because the second thing I need to tell you is about what caused Akimi to come here in the first time. **He **is not dead.»

Hiruzen sighed. «Damn it. What can you tell me about it?»

* * *

**April, 19th 214 - Training grounds 7, Sunset.**

«Thank you for coming here, my students.»

«I don't know what surprises me most.» Akimi observed. «That you aren't reading your porn, or that you are in time.»

Kakashi chuckled. «It's good to see you have so faith in me, Akimi-chan.»

«What's wrong, sensei?» asked Naruto instead. «You seem tense.»

«I'm afraid I can't train you this month.» Kakashi sighed. «The sudden reappearance of Orochimaru has all of us on an edge. Hokage-sama has asked me to temporally return in ANBU... and to keep an eye on Sasuke-san, because of the cursed seal. However...» Kakashi stopped. «I'm not about to turn back on my own beliefs. Hokage-sama has assured me he will arrange for a special trainer for you two, Akimi, Naruto... and, Shino, I personally spoke to your father, who has consented to help you with particular regard. Moreover, I wish for us to meet each Saturday for a team training session. If I can't be there in person, I'll send a Kage Bunshin. I hope you are not disappointed.»

«Maybe a little.» Akimi said, smiling warningly at Naruto, who looked very much put out. «But we understand, Kakashi-sensei.»

«I'm glad.» Kakashi turned and eye smiled at them. «I'm very proud of you. You all performed very well in the exam – without counting your encounter with a Sannin. You were ready to face an S-rank nin only to help your comrades... you exceeded my expectations by far. You know, there was a time when I thought I would never take a team on. Nobody ever worked together.»

«We are happy to be your genins as well, dattebayo.» Naruto shouted, his teammates nodding at his statements.

«I think you won't be my _genin _for much longer. This said, Naruto, Akimi, you are going to fight the rest of Gai's team...»

«Oh, don't worry, sensei! We are not going to make you look bad in front of your _rival_.» Akimi teased.

«I'm not even going to ask you how you knew about that...» Kakashi sighed. «I want especially Naruto to be careful. Neji-san is very strong. Akimi, I'm somehow convinced you are already thinking strategies over your head. Just don't waste too much chakra with Tenten-san. Shino, Sasuke is going to be a tough opponent for you, any ideas?»

«Well, he can use his Sharingan to predict my movements. I need to think about some technique to disrupt his sight. But I am used to fight with you, sensei so...»

«If he activates his cursed seal...» Kakashi started.

«I'll forfeit.» Shino reassured.

«You won't need to. I'll stop him personally. And _he _will get disqualified. Hokage-sama was clear about it.»

«I will help you as best as I can on Saturdays. You will know how to stand your own against the Sharingan, don't worry.» Kakashi eye smiled. «I am just sorry I cannot help you more.»

«Sensei, are we going to be invaded?» Akimi asked, worriedly.

«It's possibility.» Kakashi admitted.

They all pondered in silence the consequences an invasion could cause... right before the most energetic of the three jumped, throwing his punch in the air. «Well, it's just looks to me as an extra reason to train hard, dattebayo!»

* * *

**JUTSU NOTES: **

**Konoha Senpū **[Konoha Whirlwind]: D rank, offensive, short range. This technique consists in a powerful kick swept suddenly at the opponent.

**Suna no Tate **[Shield of Sand]: A rank, defensive, short range. This is an unique technique of Gaara. He has sand protecting him from its own will. The sand will shield him without him needing to move.

**Suna no Yoroi **[Armour of Sand] A rank, defensive, short range. Gaara covers his whole body in sand to absorb and deflect any kind of attack. He technique is extremely effective but also requires an extremely high amount of chakra. It breaks upon contact.

**Omote Renge: **[Front Lotus]: B rank, offensive, short range. After opening the first of the Eight inner Chakra Gates, then the user launches the opponent into the air and then uses Kage Buyō to shadow his ascent, before retraining the opponent and spinning furiously before sending him crashing on the ground.

**Ura Renge: **[Reverse Lotus]: A rank, offensive, short range. This is an enhanced version of Front Lotus. The techniques is a one way shot, because it's very likely to leave the user unable to move, react or fight back.

**Sabuku Kyū: **[Sand Binding Coffin]: B rank, offensive, short to mid range. Gaara uses his advanced control over sand to bind his opponents and immobilise them.

**Sabaku Sōsō **[Sand Waterfall Funeral] A rank, offensive, short range. After immobilising his opponent, Gaara makes the sand implode, crushing whatever is within its grasp. Gaara can control the pressure used in the attack. This technique likely causes a fountain of pain.

* * *

_**REVIEW ANSWERS: **_

_**xxOMGgalxx: **thank you a lot! I think I myself am crying thinking about you "crying" because you like my story. Thanks for reading and reviewing. _

_**Neo Amon**: yes, I think Minato and Kushina were very close as well. It's a pity we don't know much from canon apart the way the met/fell in love (I mean Minato rescuing Kushina etc.). Naruto and Akimi will talk more thoroughly about the nightmare next chapter. I am glad you liked the fights and I hope this ones are good as well. You also were almost right about the reason for Kakashi not training Team 7. _

_**Trishi: **thank you again! I'm still enjoying writing I am just a little busy and have less time to do it. Hope you liked the chapter. _

_**Wizardmon: **I am glad you thought the fights were consistent. You also completely got me about Akimi and Sakura fighting: I wanted to show Sakura's hidden potential. Thank you a lot for your suggestion. I corrected them right away. =) I am also trying to give Konoha I&T department some credit in this chap. Tell me if you want me to write some scene about it (like interrogation or something) _

* * *

_**CHAPTER NOTES **_

_Just two quick words. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. It was kind of difficult to write Lee vs. Gaara and I tried to do it more from Akimi and Naruto's point of view. I hope the PO V switches weren't too difficult to keep up with. _

_Also, Neji is a little OOC. Namely he speaks more than he does in canon, and is also more arrogant and, well, bastard. It's mainly because I think he is more troubled than in canon, and also more stressed, because he hasn't fought with Hinata. On the same topic, I hope that Neji's fight wasn't too quickly. But I think it was believable. _

_About the main matches set up, just know that I may change it, because I am still undecided whether to make a Naruto vs Sasuke or a Naruto vs Gaara. Just so you know. _

_Well, I can't think of anything else. Next time up... the month of training starts. _

_Until next time... _

11


	19. Chap 18 Just What We Needed!

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

_Author's note: Thanks to everyone for reading! **Answer of the reviews are at the bottom. **_

_This time I am actually satisfied with the title. The chapter was also quite enjoyable to write. I hope you like it. There are no real fight scenes here, it just really sets up the month training's time. Enjoy: _

**Another pervert? Just what we needed! **

**April, 20th 214**

«Have you heard from oji-san yet, dattebayo?» Naruto bounced in the kitchen, shouting. «We have no more time to spare!»

«Naruto-kun,» Akimi started, calmly sipping her tea, «the finals are in a month time. You can train with Kage Bunshin... you have **plenty** of time.» and she returned to whatever she was reading. Few seconds later she scribbled something on her notepad.

«But 'mi-chan! You saw how strong that Neji guy is! And you'll have to fight Gaara.»

«You are assuming I'll win against Tenten-san... don't do that.» Akimi shook her head. «Besides, we really didn't get to see what Neji-san can really do. Which is why you should research the Hyūga clan in the library in the mean time. And about Gaara...»

«'mi-chan...»

«This exam is about showing off. I'll show off enough in the first match to get promoted. If I see that the fight with Gaara-san gets too dangerous, I'll forfeit immediately. It's more likely you are gonna be the one fighting against him.»

«What if he doesn't let you? You saw how determined to kill Lee he was...»

«You mean in a stadium full of allied shinobi, including Kakashi-sensei and **you**? I think I would manage to evade him just fine before you jumped in. And I have a month to think about how to fight him.»

«So what are you doing?»

«I'm trying to work out Shino's problem.»

«The thing you spoke about yesterday before we left the training grounds?»

«Yes...»

«Are you going to page me in?»

«Perhaps.» Akimi smirked. «You could definitely help. It's about clones...»

«Clones!» Naruto shouted happily. «My area of expertise! Show me, show me...» he jumped behind her and peaked over her shoulder at her notes.

«I think that you should change a little that combination of handseals, to minimise chakra leakage and...» he stopped, looking sharply at her. «You get all this done this morning? Jutsu modification requires a lot of time!»

Akimi smiled hesitantly. «I already had my work about Shuriken Kage Bunshin to back me up.»

«You didn't sleep, did you?»

«Not much.» Akimi looked a little abashed. «I...»

«... should have woken me up. Another nightmare?»

«A nightmare about the nightmare, if this makes sense.» Akimi exclaimed. «I just can't stand it, because I don't understand what and how exactly happened. So I woke up, created a couple of Kage Bunshins and sent them to do research. I couldn't catch sleep again so I started working on this.»

«Why didn't you wake me up?»

«Geez, Naruto!» Akimi looked really distressed. «One, you were sleeping so well... and second I wanted to try coping on my own, right?»

«Why?» he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. «It didn't work well, I gathered?»

«'to-kun, I know I can always count on you. But I can't come running every time to you. What if we get sent to two different missions after we become chūnin or something like that?»

«Well, it's very sensible of you. Maybe a little tiny bit of your pride and independency is involved.» Naruto raised his left hand, opening his fingers a little. «But if it happens again...»

«... I'll come straight away to you.»

«And wake me up.»

«That's not strictly necessary.» she smiled slyly. «Thanks, 'to-kun.»

«Well, have you found something out... about Kuroken?»

«References, mostly.» Akimi sighed. «I think the nightmare could be defined like a shared vision. It's either Kuroken drew me into his own mind, or he entered mine.»

«That would explain why Kaera knew what was happening to you and was able to stop it as well...» Naruto said. «Anything else?»

«I know for certain Gramps had lots of intel on Kuroken, but I founded none. I need to contact the tigers. In the meantime I am studying better Kaera and mine's seal. It also helps with ideas to improve our Loyalty Seal.»

«Lovely.» Naruto smiled tightly. «If this mysterious teacher doesn't show up, we'll start research about Summoning.»

«No immediately, I mean you really don't have a contract, right? We need to find a solution to that problem and I also want to try and found a way to use more chakra in combat. My chakra storage seal needs work. A lot of work.»

Naruto nodded and sat down. «Do you still think about what happened in the forest?»

Akimi tilted her head. «Do you?»

They looked at each other for a couple of seconds. «Yes.» they both said at the same time.

«Damn snake.» Naruto murmured. «I hate him...»

«He'll get what he deserves, sooner or later.»

«Are you sure you all right with...?»

«I am not upset with you.» Akimi firmly said. «Do I need to beat it to you?»

Naruto reflexively shot a defensive hand forward. «I am just worried about you, really! »

«I know.» Akimi smiled a little. «I still can fathom it about you. Sometime you are so idiotic and annoying I really only want to _pummel _you into the ground.»

Naruto gulped.

«But mostly you are so _sweet, _I only want to kiss you _senseless.» _

«Uh, I'm really hoping for the second option here!»

Akimi smiled. «Well, worrying is kind of sweet.»

Naruto smirked. «Is it?» he said. «Shall we relax some more, then?»

«I think we shall.»

* * *

«So you are really back.» Hiruzen sat back against his armchair, puffing with his pipe. «Why now?»

The tall man in front of him shrugged. «I wanted to visit someone.» he said, with a leering grin. «And it's also has been a while since I've done any research here...»

The Hokage gave him a "no-nonsense" look. «We have no time for chit-chat.» he sternly said. «Orochimaru is on the move. He is the head of a new village.»

«Hai. Oto, in Ta no Kuni [Rice Field Country].» was the grave answer. «He basically has the Daymō on his payroll. I'm not sure how many manpower he has, but I would wager enough to rival one of the minor villages.»

Hiruzen crossed his hands over his chin. «He was here.»

«What? When?»

«During the second exam.» the Hokage sighed. «He placed a Curse Mark on Uchiha Sasuke.»

«Damn it, I figured he would wait before moving... if not I would have returned sooner.»

Sarutobi raised an eyebrow. «So why did you?»

«Read this.»

Hiruzen caught the scroll midair, opening it with a fluid movement. What he read made his blood freeze. «Jiraiya!» he shouted. «Are you sure?»

«Certain.» the Gama Sennin said. «There will be time to discuss it, anyway. I'm concerned about more pressing matters: tell me more about Orochimaru.»

«He has a very skilled spy in the village, the supposed genin Yakushi Kabuto. We now have a trail on him thanks to a couple of other genin.»

Jiraiya looked baffled. «A couple of _genin?_»

«Very talented ones. They also fought Orochimaru and luckily he spared them. I think the decision will come back to kick him in the ass sometimes... anyway, I had ANBU shadow this Kabuto... and he apparently met with Orochimaru just after the preliminaries finished, but they could not get close enough to hear their conversation, lest they were discovered. And now the kid disappeared... so we are interrogating his teammates and sensei. Kakashi is trying to track him down.»

Jiraiya nodded absently, his mind still on the word "genin". «Aren't you going to tell me their names?»

Hiruzen chuckled, easily following his student's line of thoughts. «Maybe.» he said. «Just have a look at this first.» he tossed him a small card. «Do you see the seal?»

Jiraiya snorted. «I'm Konoha's seal master, sensei.» he said. «Interesting... now, more protections could have easily been added, but it was effective. Even cleverer is the way you broke down the chakra sensor array from the genjutsu one.»

«Ah yes, it would have been smarter to add a trap who reacted to _any _foreign chakra by destroying the card, instead of simply not doing anything, right?»

«My, have you studied seals in your spare time, sensei?»

«I've not broken down that seal, nor is that observation mine. In fact, it was all one of the genin's I mentioned earlier doing...»

«A seal user?» he said, eyes shining. «Which level?»

«Not sure.» Hiruzen passed him a small record. «Read this.»

Jiraiya smirked widely. «Naruto's teammate? And what about him? Is my idiotic godson not an idiot anymore?»

«He has greatly improved since the last time you were here. You may turn a page and see for yourself. Naruto is now one of the stronger genins in the Chūnin Exam. He plays the part of the fool quite well... but he is not. He looks like his father, bless him, but has his mother personality... only sometimes he comes up with some genial comment worthy of Minato himself.»

«Two questions... first: who is this Katora Akimi? I never head such name before.»

«She is the granddaughter of an old friend of mine, to whom I owed a lot. Katora is not her true name. If you want to know it, then convince her to tell you. Only her teammates, Kakashi and myself know right now.»

"_Katora... that sounds familiar." _Jiraiya thought. «Second: does Naruto know about the seal?»

«Yes.» Hiruzen smirked. «He and Akimi figured it out last October.»

«I see... Nani? They figured out MINATO's seal?» Jiraiya's eyes were bulging out. «Kami's love, I've got to train them!»

Hiruzen chuckled almost evilly. «I was hoping you would say _that_...»

* * *

Jiraiya hadn't felt so elated in years... unless he was peeking at some Hot Springs of course. Whistling, he made his way through Konoha's east district. He stopped in front of a high wall perimeter, which had a double oak door as entrance. There, he crossed his arms, studying the seal arrays his trained eyes had no problem seeing. While it was not uncommon to clan compounds to have such protections, to think that two kids managed to pull this off was astonishing... no matter how freakishly big Naruto's stamina was.

"_And they linked the perimeter sensorial seal to a jolting seal, so that if one tried to break down it, they would he would be shocked... and an alarm would activate as well. Yeah, yeah... they are not pushovers." _Of course, Jiraiya was not a Sannin for mere chance and he was also a seal _and _spy master. «I can't believe I'm doing this to enter the house of two genin!» he quickly summoned a small toad and used _Gamakagure no Jutsu _to enter the mansion undetected.

Hiruzen, watching this from his crystal ball, raised an eyebrow. «Mah, Jiraiya, you could have simply knocked...»

Of course, this approach method had the benefit of allowing Jiraiya to watch the two teen when they were really _themselves_. What the Gama Sennin didn't expect was to arrive in a training ground full of... orange clad blonde kids. Hidden by his _Tōton Jutsu _his eyes almost popped out from his sockets.

"_There is got to be at least one hundred of them!" _There were a dozen of clones who were sparring with small tantō using chakra flow as well. Chakra flow! Another bunch of them was under a small waterfall, trying to cut it off – and almost succeeding as well! Probably twenty of them or so were meditating sitting on the small pound in the centre of the grounds and the majority of them was hurling Suiton and Fūton jutsu around. It was only after few minutes that he saw the girl as well. To his upmost shock, she appeared to be using Kage Bunshin as well, if not in a more moderate numbers.

Two clones were hurling around Fūma Shuriken, using a combination of strings and chakra flow to be more deadly. Other two were sparring using a small blade that almost looked like a claw of sort. Other two were practicing jutsu: one Doton and one Katon.

"_The hell these two kids are __**really **__good!_" However, Jiraiya had a feeling the real ones were not there. He figured out quickly they were using Kage Bunshin for training, which was genius really, but none was doing physical condition. Now, if you use Kage Bunshin to train in chakra manipulation and muscle memories, you use your real body to exercise and improve strength and speed. _"They are in the house then..." _ The Sannin made his way towards the fair sized two store mansion. He peeped into what looked to be a library, seeing another dozen of blond clones reading and discussing animatedly. There was also another girl there, quietly reading and occasionally scribbling some notes on a black notepad. _"Probably all clones as well..." _

He finally arrived to what looked like a back door and, after checking for seals, he used it to enter, being careful not to make noise. This was starting to be really entertaining. Mentally grinning, Jiraiya started to explore. He arrived in an empty kitchen, in what looked like an atrium, and finally in a medium sized sitting room. There, he stopped with a lecherous and wide smirk. _"That makes me so proud! He uses clones to train and spends his time with more... __**funny **__activities." _ The Sannin lost no time and took out his notes, starting to hastily scribbling on them.

Naruto and Akimi were furiously kissing on one of the leather couches. She was the one on top and Jiraiya immediately saw there was a lot of hands' roaming involved. And groans. Oh, and was that a moan? Naruto flipped them over, looking as if he had sneaked his hands under her shirt. Yeah, go like that kid! Unable to restrain himself, he broke down in a perverted giggle. The two teen froze.

«_What _was that?» Akimi asked.

«You mean it wasn't you?»

«I have a lot of talents, but giggling while my tongue is deep into your throat is not one of them.»

Naruto chuckled. «My, did someone bypass your seals? Do you think they broke? Maybe is the Oro-teme.»

«Nah. He is good at ninjutsu, not seals. While he did use the Five Elements Seal on you, he can be an expert, at most, but he is no master.»

Jiraiya raised an eyebrow. _"Impressive she heard me while she was so __**busy, **__but she could not pinpoint my exact location, however... they should not stay there and chat, but be looking for me! I could be an enemy." _

«Maybe it was simply your imagination» Naruto observed.

«Why, pray tell, should I be imagining someone _giggling _while we make out?» Akimi raised an eyebrow.

Naruto shrugged.

«You should be worrying, ya know, I mean I should think about _you _in this time, shouldn't I?»

«Oh, you big tease!» Naruto chuckled again and smashed his lips on hers.

"_What the hell? They started going at it again? Is she so confident in her sealing abilities?" _ Then he eyes bulged out as Naruto discarded his orange muscle shirt, just before Akimi rolled him over again, unbuttoning her blouse as well and... _"Holy shit!" _Naruto transformed in a woman, with very rounded forms, long blonde hair and battling eyelashes. And she was naked, bar some little clouds over the significant parts... and then Akimi kissed her, while _Naruto _or _Naruko _or whatever quickly took off her shirt and... Jiraiya felt the blood shot out from his nose and his notes fell back with a thug, while a goofy smile formed on his lips.

It was then he felt the cold metal on his neck. Surprised, he made to use Kawarimi but he could not move. He saw _Naruto _and _Akimi _pop out of existence with a small sound.

«So tell me, wasn't the massive use of clones in training a big enough hint we do know how to perform _Kage Bunshin?_» Naruto asked, moving in his field of vision. He was holding the ram seals, obviously alimenting the immobility seal.

«Or did you really think we would go back to make out after we felt an intruder?» Akimi derisively said, from behind him. «A clue: no! We are hormonal teenagers, that's true...»

«... but we are first proud shinobi of Konohagakure.»

That was the last thing he remembered before he was forcibly knocked out. He did not know he wasn't the only one, seeing as Hiruzen Sarutobi had fainted from blood loss only few minutes prior.

* * *

«Do you think he is an enemy?» Naruto carefully poked the huge man with a finger.

The girl finished drawing a chakra suppression seal linked with a chakra absorption one on the intruder's forehead. «I think an enemy would have killed us... not starting to peek on our make out session.»

«Maybe he is a perverted enemy...» Naruto shrugged. «But why would someone want to kill us? Besides the Oro-teme, of course, and something tells me... _this _one cannot be in league with that snake.»

«He is wearing a curious symbol.» Akimi said. «I swear I saw it somewhere else. _Activate_.» With a strange suction sound, a huge amount of chakra was absorbed into the main protection array, while the suppression seal restrained the rest.

Naruto then pulled the big man by his feet, until they arrived on a small pole in the training ground. He tied the man there, using a chakra resistant rope. He then joined Akimi and the two observed the man with twin crossed arms.

The intruder was tall. Very tall. He probably would tower over Kakashi-sensei. He had long white and spiky hair, which arrived to his waist, with two bangs that framed his face. He carried a horned forehead protector with the kanji for oil. Two long red lines started from his eyes down his cheeks and he had a big wart on his nose. He wore a green short kimono and pants, with a small red cloak over it. His feet were clad in traditional gata sandals.

«What about the notes he carried?» Naruto asked.

Akimi looked briefly over them, then she scowled with a disgusted expression. «Good Kami, just what we needed... I think he is worse than Sarutobi-sama and Kaka-sensei put together.»

«That's perverted stuff?» Naruto frowned. «And he wrote them watching us?»

Akimi was as annoyed as he was. «Let's keep these for leverage... and let me have a look at that scroll.»

The man carried a huge storage scroll, who resembled the one Akimi had when she first arrived in the village. «Yeah, he looks like a wanderer. He has extra weapons, food, money and a lot of clothes in here. Judging from these seals, he is easily a master of the Art.» she said in a bittersweet tone.

Naruto patter her shoulder, in sympathy. The girl had longed for years to meet a Fūinjutsu master to learn from and now that she did... he was another pervert.

«And his chakra is easily Kage level.» Akimi continued.

«He is old, but his body is leaned and trained.» concluded Naruto for her. «This is no pushover, but a very powerful shinobi.»

«It's sad he was knocked out by a simple transformation technique and a little acting.»

«Was it strange?» Naruto asked. «To kiss another girl?»

«It was _you_.» Akimi replied. «And now don't be perverted. That was a onetime only thing, you should have enjoyed it while you could.»

«But I did!»

«Baka!» Akimi exclaimed, twitting him on the head. «Now let's focus. Wake him up.»

«**Suiton: Mizurappa!**» Naruto said, completely soaking the poor man.

He sputtered water around, half chocking, before looking around confusedly.

«Welcome back!» Akimi said, smiling sweetly. «We got some questions for ya', do you mind?»

Jiraiya looked around, almost like a mouse in a trap. _"I've got barely half of my chakra... which doesn't matter since it is suppressed anyway. And these ropes... they are against Escape Techniques." _

Naruto glared at him. «First: who _the hell _are you?»

Jiraiya mentally cursed. He could not pose! It did not matter. «You mean you really don't know?» he asked, feigning surprise.

«We wouldn't ask otherwise. Start talking, before I mistake your notes from my usual Katon practice material.» Akimi nonchalantly said.

«NANI?» Jiraiya exclaimed. «Wait, wait... all right, I'll tell you.» he stopped, for dramatic effect. «In every sea and land I'm known as... the great and gallant Gama-sennin, Jiraiya-sama, one of the legendary ninja from Konoha!»

«You are?» Naruto asked, surprised. «You don't seem like much! At most you are a... Ero-sennin!»

«What! I'm no pervert!»

«We knocked you out because you were too busy losing blood from your nose.» Akimi deadpanned.

«I am a super pervert!» Jiraiya proudly stated.

«You admit it!» Naruto shouted, pointing a finger at him. «What do you want from us, Ero-sennin?»

«Stop calling me that! I told you I'm the Gama-sennin!» Jiraiya screamed back. «The mightiest of the Densetsu no Sannin! Have some respect!»

«And I told you I don't believe you!» the blonde stubbornly said. «Pervert!»

«I'm a _super _pervert!» Jiraiya yelled again, his voice really creepy.

«Wait a second.» Akimi said, rubbing her chin. «Your Hitai-ate... it's the symbol of Mount Myōboku, the sacred ground of toads. You are _really _the Gama-sennin.»

«Finally, you recognised me...!»

«How comes that the all the super powerful ninja are so creepy, 'mi-chan? I mean Oro-teme is a sick paedophile and him...» he simply indicated him.

«Ehi, what's that supposed to mean?» Jiraiya shouted.

«Well, no matter. He is a fellow Konoha-nin. So we can't hurt him too much.» Akimi observed, quietly. «Pity.»

Jiraiya gulped. _"Frightening." _

«So why did you break into our house?» Akimi asked. «The life of your notes may depend on your answer.» she said, waiving the papers in front of him.

«Calm down, calm down.» Jiraiya was sweating. «Sarutobi-sensei sent me. I'm here to train you!»

Akimi tilted her head, while Naruto laughed. «But... we _tied _you up!»

«You took me by surprise!»

«Wait a second.» Akimi Sunshined away, returning after a little while with a camera in hand. «Say cheese!»

«Yatta! Another blackmail piece... And a collection edition! _The _Gama-sennin! That's even better than Kakashi-sensei, dattebayo!» Naruto jumped. «Let's go put that in a safe place.»

Jiraiya sweat dropped. «Ehi, aren't you two going to untie me?» he shouted. «It's not funny!»

* * *

Of course, the two did untie him – eventually – they weren't that _mean_. Now, the unusual trio was enjoying a snack in the sitting room, with Jiraiya eagerly accepting the offer of saké.

«So,» the Sennin started, «you obviously talked to come up with the plan that incapacitated me. How?»

«That's a secret.» Akimi replied. «But know that we can communicate without words in a radius of... one hundred of meters, maybe more.»

Jiraiya narrowed his eyes. _"Kekkai genkai..? Nah, a seal maybe?" _«Let's give it to this for now. So what about you tell me what you can do... so I can see if there is something of use I can teach you?»

«I've got something.» Akimi said. «The technique you used to be invisible. I want to learn it. If you teach me, maybe I won't burn your notes...»

Jiraiya smirked. «I've them again. You can't...» he stopped at her sweet, scary smile. «Sure, no prob.»

Naruto nodded. «That was the wisest thing to say, Ero-sennin»

«Don't call me that!»

«Then don't be a pervert!»

«I'm a super pervert!»

«Enough.» Akimi exclaimed. «We acknowledge the fact that you are a super pervert... and he is not going to stop calling you that, so you may as well stop asking. Why don't we move on?»

«Right,» Jiraiya said, «tell me what you two can do...»

* * *

**April, 21th 214 - Outskirts of Konoha**

«Let's hope Ero-sennin teaches us something today, dattebayo!»

«In retrospect, it was out fault... we did cut his chakra in half.» Akimi quietly replied, her nose deep in a book.

«Yeah, I'm sure. Didn't Kaera say he went to peep at the Hot Springs?»

«That's true.» Akimi sighed. «Oh, and I discovered he wrote the book Kaka-sensei always read.»

«Your kidding right? Damn, he really is something else...»

«I'm a super pervert!» Jiraiya exclaimed, with his booming voice. «Right, you two! Yesterday you told me what you _can _do, now what about you give an idea of what you planned to learn this month... you first, gaki.»

«Hai, dattebayo! My first opponent is Neji... according to what we discovered he is a master of the Byakugan and can close tenketsu points, so I can't really fight him at close range. Of course, I could send clone after clone at him, but that wouldn't be a chūnin worthy strategy. I can do it for a little while, as reconnaissance.»

«So that leaves you long ranged fighting. You seem to know quite the numbers of jutsu...» Jiraiya stated. «And can enhance throwing weapons with chakra flow.»

«Yes, but you should take in consideration who his teammate is.» Akimi cut him off. «Tenten is a weapon specialist. We can assume she trains with her team, so he is probably _very _adept at dodging.»

«I can use a seal to immobilise him.» Naruto said. «He would not expect it... At the beginning I can throw clones at him, as if gauging his style – which I'll be doing, actually – only I'll also use it as an excuse to place a Fudou Fūin on him. Then I'll do a little of long-range fighting, so he doesn't suspect anything, then activate it.»

«Good plan.» Jiraiya approved. «But what if you can't place the seal, uh? He is more likely to see it with those eyes of him»

Naruto stopped to think. «Well, I can outlast him in stamina, but considering I have to fight again, possibly against Gaara... I'll use that as a last resort. I need to think about a way to unsettle and surprise him. Maybe I can pretend I'm losing big time to make him overconfident.»

«Right, that seems good enough. My advice is you focus on your physical training, especially speed. Akimi-chan can help you with seals, I believe. Have Kage Bunshin continue with your jutsu training.» Jiraiya turned to the girl. «What about you, then?»

«My first fight is against Tenten. As I said, she is a weapon mistress. Uses strings very proficiently, probably good a close range as well, seeing who her sensei is. She is adept at Fūinjutsu, standard storage seals, so she probably would recognise a seal if I use one. I think. She didn't show much against Kiba, she outclassed him. I probably can best her with a combination of ninjutsu/genjutsu.» Akimi said. «I've gone through a lot of possible strategies and I have the advantage that she hasn't seen much of my abilities, as I simply used taijutsu against Sakura in the preliminaries. I plan to improve my speed, work a little on my strength and refine my Doton jutsu. They are good defences.»

«Defensive jutsu... and you have a long hair. I may teach one of my personal techniques. But not right now.» Jiraiya said. «What about seals?»

«Right now the only real seal I can use in battle are the Jolting Seal and the Fudou no Fūin. I was thinking of extend my arsenal. A barrier seal maybe?»

«I can show you a couple of them, but the best thing you can do is create one by yourself. You are good, Akimi-chan, I mean you broke down the Yondaime's seal.»

«Well, I had Naruto's help for that...» she murmured, although she was obviously, pleased by the praise.

Jiraiya shrugged. «Right, now let's speak about the possible next opponent. Naruto, you first.»

«Sasuke or Shino. I am not worried about Shino... He is my teammate, if we fight together we'll put on a good show and it also going to be fun. Sasuke, well the teme is quite powerful. The only thing that worries me is his cursed seal. Besides, he will underestimate me. The one I am more worried about is Gaara.»

«Yeah, there is no way Kankurō-san is going to fight his brother. He is terrified of him.» Akimi spoke up. «And I don't really think I have a lot of chances against someone like Gaara-san. If my elemental jutsu don't work on him – and I doubt Katon and Doton would – I haven't much left. A good barrier seal could buy me time, but then...»

Jiraiya got a serious look. «You are gonna forfeit?»

She shrugged. «Yes.» she candidly said. «No need to risk my life.»

«And then you are more likely gonna fight him...» the Gama Sennin said to Naruto.

«Gaara is... well, crazy. In a very disturbed way... if I fight him it will not be a "symbolic" fight to death. He won't hesitate to kill me.» Naruto darkly said. «He can use sand and has a very good defence. Brushy Brows could barely land a bowl on him and I'm not nearly as fast as him. I can improve, possibly. My best bet is using Suiton to slow down sands... if it works.»

«And how do you plan to use water in the arena?»

«We have got a side project on this.» Akimi said. «Basically a space/time seal connected to a storage seal that can pour water at will. Like a sink's tap. Of course, it requires a lot of chakra. But, Naruto-kun has not such problems, now does he?»

Jiraiya whistled. «Ambitious of you. I'll let you work on your own, let's say that if you aren't close to find a solution in two weeks I'll help you. I've a couple of scrolls for you, anyway. Naruto, if you work hard, I am sure you can easily come to surpass this Gaara. Do not worry too much.» he smiled widely. «You have the makings of great warriors: you both have good analytic skills... especially you.» he indicated Akimi. «And I have no doubts you can easily adapt.»

«Especially him.» Akimi ruffled Naruto's hair.

The Sannin chuckled.

«By the way, Shino is busy collecting more detailed intel about our possible opponents today... and tomorrow 'to-kun and I will do the same.» Akimi intervened. «Although, pretend we didn't say that, Jiraiya-san... I think it may be like cheating a little.»

«As long as you don't get caught.» Jiraiya smirked widely. «They could be doing the same right now to us.»

Naruto burst into laughter. «No way! You aren't that stupid to set a meeting in an easily spottable place...»

«We are near a waterfall.» Akimi said. «Where kunoichi like to bath. I went a couple of time. That is why he asked to meet us here.»

Jiraiya's eyes bulged out. «I...»

«Of course, I had a couple of clones set up a perimeter seal all around so I'll know if someone gets near. I'll work on better security later on.»

«I must amend my statement.» Naruto laughed again. «No way! 'mi-chan is too paranoid to let someone spy on us.»

Jiraiya frowned. «Perimeter seal, really? Where?»

«Two hundred meter radius. I hid it with a genjutsu seal and linked it with a chakra absorption seal. I hope you make us practice jutsu so the seal can recharge itself.» Akimi smirked. «I also warned the kunoichi a pervert was going to stalk this place... no one is gonna come in a while. If they do, they'll be alert.»

Jiraiya gaped at her. «You... you...!»

«I only thought you would train us better, without distractions.» Akimi sweetly said. «Oh, and I really hate open perverts like you. Woops. Sorry, super perverts.»

Jiraiya looked like he was about to cry.

«Aren't we supposed to train?» Naruto eagerly asked. «Ero-sennin, you can pervert later. At least Akimi didn't go directly to burning.»

«_You damn brats._» the older man growled. «Well, then. I'll have spar with you now. I promise I'll go easy with ya. Taijutsu only. And you can use your weapons.»

Akimi frowned. «Chakra flow?»

«Not this time.»

For the next half an hour or so, the two kids had their asses soundly beaten by the old ninja. No matter what they tried, Jiraiya could easily read them and either blocked the bowl or attacked them. The only reason they weren't obliterated sooner was their superb teamwork. Akimi was launched right against a tree by a kick in the guts, while Naruto was smashed against a rocky cliff by a violent punch in the head.

Jiraiya chuckled as the two kids moaned and got back to their feet, obviously defeated. They hadn't even landed a hit. «That was a good warming up, wasn't it?» he said, without breaking a sweat.

Akimi was visibly panting, her stamina nowhere near the freakish levels of the Sannin, or of Naruto, for that matter. «Was that... was that payback for yesterday?»

Jiraiya laughed more. «You should remember, brats, who I am and who are you... I'm way out of your league.» _"For now." _

«We knew that.» Naruto snorted. «You are a Sannin. Sure, you aren't as creepy as the Oro-teme and if only were only to distractedly look at you, would see only an old, idiotic looking pervert...»

Jiraiya protested loudly, but the two ignored him as Akimi continued: «... but that is just a mask. It makes your potential enemies comfortable... and they easily underestimate you. Even those who know you _are _a Sannin, still underestimate your intelligence, the way you act, do they not?»

Jiraiya raised his eyebrows. «Interesting theory.»

«I still have to figure you out, Jiraiya-san» Akimi said. «You are a pervert... no, super pervert, but you are a Sannin. You behave in a goofy way, but you are obviously smart... which means you follow _the_ Golden Rule. And you are a seal master. I dunno whether to like you or not...»

«What's not to like?» he made a strange pose. «I'm the gallant Jiraiya! And what do you mean Golden Rule?»

«Deception is a shinobi greatest weapon. That's the first rule!» they both chorused.

«So there are other rules as well?»

«We got Kaka-sensei's one.» Akimi said. «Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their teammates are worse than trash.»

«And there is Haku's one. When you have someone precious you want to protect, that's when you really can become strong.»

«And there is the Yondaime's.» Akimi concluded. «Abandon your duty is not courageous...»

«... below courage there is nothing.» Jiraiya said, somehow sadly. _"Ah, Minato..:" _

The two kids stopped, as if they remembered the man was the Yondaime's teacher.

«You are fine kids.» Jiraiya smiled. «So, tell me, are there any Kage Bunshin training back at your place right now?» The look on them told everything. «Of course. Which reminds me, how many can you exactly do?»

Naruto shrugged. «I lost count at five hundred.»

«Ten... but it's complicated.» Akimi replied.

«How so?» Jiraiya asked.

The girl shrugged. «Here, read this.» she gave him a small piece of paper.

The older man read, frowning in amazement. As he finished, the paper dissolved in fire. «Who knows about this?»

«Excluding the presents... Sandaime-sama, Kakashi-sensei and Shino.»

«_Very _smart.» Jiraiya said. «Are you using this ability extensively? I mean, how long do you make your clones last?»

«I've got it down like this, usually... I summon them and I have them doing Fūinjutsu and meditation. Once they have researched, half of them divide and turn back to meditation. The new ones start to practice katas and study scrolls. When they recharged, they start practicing jutsu and fire manipulation. Then, I leave them to meditate. And then, before they dispel, they create other clones. I let them last for about a day each, not wanting information overload. And they always get through the same few things. I never have more than twenty up, anyway.»

«And 'mi-chan never lets me use more than one-hundred.» Naruto whined.

«It's good she did, or you would get too powerful in too little time. Your spiritual energy would increase too much, creating an imbalance with your physical one.» Jiraiya said. «In this way, you grew at a slower pace and can keep up with your improvement. Especially your body. Correct me if I mistake, but you can withstand so much information overload because the regenerative power the fox gives you?»

The blonde nodded.

«Well, still the brain is very delicate.» Jiraiya indicated his head. «If you abuse that jutsu, you'll eventually get crazy. Really, really crazy.»

«Right, I'll get it. I'll never overdo it... unless it's an emergency.» Naruto wisely said. «And I never back down on my word. It's my nindo.»

Jiraiya smiled at him.

«With this information, I've now decided your training schedule. I suppose you do physical conditioning in the morning, right?» A nod was his response. «Tomorrow I'll drop by and see what exactly you do and I'll probably assign you some exercise to do. After that, I want you to respite for an hour and meet me here. We'll spar taijutsu only, like today, then work on your katas, then with your weapons. This in the morning. In the afternoon, we'll work on jutsu and strategies, maybe some seals now and then. We'll have another spar and then I'll let you go before sunset. In the meantime, you'll have clones do your usual training back at your home... and I may or not send a Kage Bunshin there to work with them.»

«Jiraiya-san, we need to meet with Kakashi-sensei for a team training every Saturday.»

«Good. I'll let you go earlier then. And I actually think it's better if you take it easy during weekends, anyway...» _"It'll leave me time to peep... actually, I can send Kage Bunshin to do that! What did I not think of this before?" _«Well, enough chatting. Show me your katas. You first, blondie.»

* * *

**April, 22st 214 – Outskirts of Konoha, afternoon**

«What I plan to teach you today, actually, is more a supplementary jutsu... very adaptable. However, I'd rather you don't use it in the actual exam, unless you really haven't any other choices...» Jiraiya explained, biting his thumb and going a through a brief series of handseals. «**Kuchiyose no Jutsu**»

He slammed his hand on the ground and, with a big puff of smoke, a fair sized toad appeared in front of the two children. Jiraiya was standing over the toad, his arms crossed and a smug smirk on his face.

The animal was orange, with blue markings all around his body. Some bandages were wrapped around his belly and left forearms. He had a green necklace on and the central and largest pearl spotted the kanji for "Loyalty". He was holding a large and slime scroll with his tongue.

Jiraiya grinned. «This is Gama.» he explained.

«Very original.» Akimi observed, crossing her arms.

Jiraiya frowned. «I'll let you know that Toads don't take offences very well.»

«That was not an offence.» the girl replied, before bowing to the animal. «I am honoured to meet you, Gama-san. I suppose you are the Keeper of the contract for summoning your noble clan, aren't you?»

The Sennin almost gaped. _"This is got to be the first time ever I saw someone use honorific with one of the lesser summons." _ He shook his head to clear his thoughts.

«Croak.» Gama replied, smacking his lips. He was obviously pleased.

«You are correct, Akimi.» Jiraiya said. «In fact, I'd like you two to sign the contract and learn how to summon.»

«Yatta! This is awesome!» Naruto exclaimed. «Toads are _so _cool. And the Fourth summoned them too, did he not?»

Jiraiya chuckled. «Indeed.» he smiled sadly, remembering his beloved student. «I taught him how when he was around your age, you know.»

Naruto nodded, looking at him attention, thirsty for any details on the life of his hero. However, the sage was done reminiscing for the day. «Very well, Naruto, I'm happy to see you so eager to sign the contract! Gama, can you... Gama?»

Akimi was sitting on the head of the toad, near Jiraiya, patting it. Kaera was crouched in front of them, meowing happily to the amphibian. Gama himself responded with modulate croaking.

«How very interesting.» Akimi nodded to herself. She noticed the two men looking at them. «Ne, Gama-san, I think Jiraiya-san requires something from you.»

«How did you do it? Gama is not usually so friendly with strangers.»

«Apparently, tigers and toads go along very well. Which is strange, if you really think about it...» she stopped. «Or not, considering that apparently toads taste bad and tigers don't like to eat them. And they both hate snakes. So... Kaera-chan can understand Gama-san and vice versa.»

Jiraiya was a little baffled, but shrugged it off. «Naruto needs to sign the contract, Gama. What about you, Akimi?»

The toad extended his tongue so the scroll was now right in front of Naruto. The boy took it with an awed look.

«I'm afraid I've already signed a contract, Jiraiya-san.» Akimi replied, distractedly. «With tigers.»

The Gama sennin seemed a little disappointed, but nodded. «I've never heard of such contract before.» he observed.

«It's a family heirloom. To my knowledge, only members of my clan have signed it.»

«I see.» Jiraiya boomed. «What are you waiting for, gaki? Sign it!»

The sage supposed the boy knew he needed to do it with blood, in fact, the blonde bit his thumb, after opening the scroll, before signing his name with barely controlled movement. He was obviously very excited.

«You also need to place the imprint of your hand next to your name, then you need place on the ground that very hand to call forth your summon.» Jiraiya explained. «The sign are Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey and Ram.»

Naruto quickly finished and closed the contract with caution, before handing it back to Gama. Akimi gracefully jumped down and landed next to him.

«How much chakra should we use?» Naruto asked.

«That depends on the size, power and abilities of the summon you want to call.» Jiraiya said. «As you get more familiar with them, you can ask specifically for one, either calling or thinking a precise name. Use at least the same amount of chakra you would need for your most powerful technique.»

«Right then.» the blonde took a deep breath, starting to mould chakra. «Boar...» he went through the sign very slowly, not wanting to mess up. Akimi mirrored him, after biting her own thumb. «Dog, Bird, Monkey... Ram.»

«**Kuchiyose no jutsu!» **the tow genins exclaimed, slamming their right hand on the ground.

Two twins arrays of black seals appeared, followed by two clouds of smoke that merged into one. Jiraiya was impressed by its size. _"Looks like they have indeed summoned something... useful." _He thought. _"But after all, they have been training hard in chakra control and ninjutsu for years, so it is not so surprising." _

As it was, Naruto was standing on the head of a toad who was probably half the size of Gama. He was blue with yellow lines running all around. The toad wore a light chainmail and carried a tantō (which was actually the size of Zabuza's zanbato).

In front of the couple, Akimi stood on between two huge pointed ears. The red tiger she evoked – Jiraiya had no idea if it was a female or a male – was roughly two times bigger than a normal tiger, with sharp looking claws and two sharp, long fangs on the side of the mouth. The girl, however, was panting, since the feat had obviously tired her out.

The tiger stared intently at the toad and the blonde ninja. «Why have you called me here, En...»

«I beg you not to use that name, tiger-san.» Akimi quickly said. «It's not safe.»

«You are old man Katora's great-cub.» the tiger road. «So he is really dead.»

«Yes, I'm Akimi.» she replied. «You can call me Katora, though, that's how I go by nowadays.»

«What happened then? Do I need to fight this toad?»

«No, everybody here is friendly!» Akimi exclaimed. «Kaera, can you please explain things?»

The smaller feline leaped at the feet of her mistress, then started to purr contently.

«I see... We were almost certain the old man had died, but only the Elders have had a vague idea of what happened. I will report this. Zukogane-sama will be both happy and sad to hear this news. We lost a summoner and gained a new one, but such is the cycle of the world. I also bring back intel about... _him._» the tiger took a deep breath. «You may call me Sabura, Akimi-dono. I'll be honoured to fight alongside you, especially considering the way you have cared for the little Kaera.»

Akimi was about to reply, when the toad Naruto had summoned made himself known. «I'd like to know why on earth I was called here. I was enjoying my first afternoon snack, so, if there is no reason for me to be here, I may as well be going.»

Sabura glared at him, Jiraiya chuckled and Naruto hastily tried to pacify the animal. «I'm the new summoner of the Toad Clan, dattebayo! I called you here... and I'm sorry if I bothered you, so, well... what can you do?»

The toad slowly smacked his lips. «And what is your name, brat?»

«Naruto Uzumaki, future Hokage of Konoha, dattebayo!»

The toad snorted. «If you say so. My name is Gamaze, one of the finest sword-toads of mount Myōboku. I'm actually impressed you managed to get me here at your first attempt.»

Naruto grinned.

«Indeed.» Jiraiya boomed. «You two _will _go far, brats. For next week, I want you to focus on the Kuchiyose. In order to do so, you need to get familiar with at least a dozen of different summons, you will also need to train together to hone your teamwork. However, as a piece of advice, since you summoned these two on your first try, it may as well mean you are very suited for each other. This will get me time to think about what to teach you during the rest of our training time. This said, I'll see you tomorrow morning!» and he disappeared with a puff of smoke alongside Gama.

«Time to think about our training?» Naruto shouted. «He's probably gone peeping!»

«What do you mean by "peeping", shinobi-san?» Sabura asked, with a small growl.

«Ero-sennin is... well, a pervert.» Naruto explained. «A super pervert.»

«Pervert?» the tiger growled. «Are you sure it is proper for you to be around such a person, Akimi-dono? He appears to be "teaching" you, moreover...»

«Jiraiya-san may be a pervert, but he is not that bad, Sabura-san.» Akimi replied. «We all need a coping way, I believe.»

«The girl is right.» Gamaze said. «Besides, the best way to use Kuchiyose is to socialise!»

«So, what?» Naruto shouted. «We could spar!»

«I think I need a little time to respite.» Akimi sighed. «I'm not a stamina freak such as you, Naruto-kun. So how about we get to know each other?»

«What a drag!» Gamaze scoffed. «I want something to eat for this!»

* * *

In the next couple of hours, Naruto and Akimi discovered that Gamaze was a scary mixture of Naruto and Shikamaru, personality-wise. He was lazy, unless you asked him to fight with his tantō, and loved ramen. Sabura was much more collected, but very proud. He was extremely protective of Akimi and Kaera.

The small group made some little talk while eating, then Naruto and Akimi told the two summons about their lives.

«... so the hebi-teme poisoned mi-chan and I lost it, going berserker...» Naruto stopped his tale, uncertain.

«Like it happened in Wave?» Sabura asked, with his deep, velvet-like voice.

The blonde nodded distractedly, too busy communicating with Akimi through the Loyalty Seal. «_Should I tell them?»_

_«Well, I can't decide for you, but you should consider two facts. First, only you and Jiraiya-san can summon toads, whilst only I can call forth tigers. Even if they told their whole clans, your secret would be safe. Second, summons' perception of things is different from ours. It is likely that Sabura-san knows enough about Fūinjutsu to see you for what you are: a hero. And Gamaze likes you – and maybe even knows already, seeing how close the Toads are with Jiraiya-san and Konoha in general.» _

_«I like him too. If we fight well together, I'll definitely call him often.» _

_«Then you should definitely tell him.» _

_«Can you ask Kaera to...?» _

«Kids, where did you go?» Gamaze asked.

«Sorry, it was rather rude of us to zone off like that. We can talk to each other through a seal, although is a much undeveloped method...» Akimi said. «Kaera, could you...?»

The two older summons listened to the swift explanation of the younger tiger.

«Mmm.» Sabura lazily said. «You carry a heavy burden, young one.» His piercing green eyes locked on the blonde. «And as such you have my respect. Besides, you saved Akimi-dono life... more than once, becoming her most trusted ally. As such, you are also an ally of the Tiger Clan. Everything else is meaningless.»

Gamaze nodded. «The furball is right.» he said. «And there is no way that Yondaime-sama's seal is going to break, so I'm golden with it. Well, what happened after you went berserker on that bloody snake? _Stupid toad-eater snakes..._»

Naruto eyes started to shine suspiciously. Akimi smiled sadly at this. _"Poor Naruto-kun... what he has always wanted is acceptance. Simply as this. Sooner or later everyone will see what a wonderful person you are." _«Naruto-kun attacked the Oro-teme... however despite being very powerful he was out of it. It was enough to make him desist from biting me, though. Then, he placed an uneven seal on Naruto, disrupting his balance.» Akimi sighed. «Well, afterwards he ran, probably afraid that ANBU would sense him or something. I played dead to ensure he wouldn't try anything.» She then proceeded to tell them the rest of the second Exam and of the preliminaries.

«... so we are now trying with Ero-sennin and he is actually cool, when he manages to restrain his pervert side and train us, dattebayo»

«Which is not very often.» Akimi smirked. «But it's better than nothing, isn't it?»

Naruto and the toad chuckled.

«I've fought alongside your grandfather since I was a cub smaller than Kaera.» Sabura growled softly. «I can teach you two as well.»

«Aye, I suppose I'm not as good as the Great Threes, or the two Elders, but I'm no pushover. I can also help you.» Gamaze yawned. «Even though it will be a drag.»

Both Akimi and Naruto sweat dropped, thinking how similar the toad was to Shikamaru.

«The Great Threes? The two Elders?» Akimi asked, regaining her bearings. «Could you explain, Gamaze-san?»

«Sure thing. We Toads are a large clan, each one of us has unique abilities, much like you human shinobi. I'm a battle toad, specialised in offence, medium size – whereas Gama, for example, has a knack for defence. You haven't seen him with his armour.»

«The most important thing you need to remember when using Kuchiyose, is that you need to summon a companion that is suited to the situation you are in.» Sabura explained. «Summons such as me or as Gamaze-san are weaker than the Greater ones, but are more versatile.»

«The Great Threes, as I called them before, are gigantic battle Toads. Gamaken-san, Gamahiro-san and Gamabunta-sama, our "boss".»

«Gamabunta...» Naruto exhaled. «The Toad who battled Kyūbi alongside Yondaime-sama.»

«Exactly.» Gamaze nodded. «But you can't certainly summon the Great Three if you are indoors or need to be subtle, can you not?»

«What about the Elders?» asked Akimi.

«They are very esteemed toads, keepers of the secrets of the Clan, and very powerful despite the size, you should wait for them to approve you before calling them, Naruto.» Gamaze gravely said. «For the rest, the smaller toads are support ones, used for recon, tracking, or as messengers. Diving toads can swallow people and very large object, making them very useful for breaking in high secured areas.»

«Sabura-san, what about the Tiger Clan?»

«Our Queen, Zukogane-sama, is a great battle tiger. Her size can indeed be compared to Gamabunta-sama's one. She has mastery over Lighting. My brothers and sisters are all trained in mastering one element actually and it's usually fire or lightning, seldom times earth.» the tiger stopped to think. «We also have Elders, in fact, they are the ones who protect the scrolls that your grandfather entrusted to the Clan. Akimi-dono, if you wish to speak to them, you'll need to pass the first Trial.»

«Trial?» asked Naruto, surprised.

«Yeah, Gramps told me about it.» the girl nodded. She signalled to Naruto: «_Later._»

«Lastly, our clan is specialised in hunting and recon. There are few greater Tigers, in fact, I'm the fifth greatest in the whole clan. Kaera-chan brother, Kiluke, is still very little, but will grow to be a tough, big opponent.»

«Yeah, the same could be said for Gamakichi and Gamatatsu, our boss' sons.»

«So do you suggest we summon them to get to know them now? In a sort of way grow together as shinobi?» Akimi asked.

«Not a bad idea.» Sabura said. «Especially since now it would not cost much to summon them.»

«Sabura-san, how much more chakra would I need to summon Zukogane-sama, exactly?»

The tiger laughed. «A lot more than what you needed for me, cub! Four or five times more.»

Akimi cursed. «It'll be years...» she sighed. «No matter! I'll get there.»

Naruto raised an eyebrow. «Would the same be true for Gamabunta?» he asked the toad.

Gamaze nodded, yawing.

«What about our spar, now?» asked Akimi. «It would be good to see what we can do, right?»

Sabura grinned. «Why don't we and Gamaze-san fight alone so you can observe our styles? Then you can do the same, kids.»

The two genin nodded eagerly.

«Just try not to destroy this place too much!» Akimi warned, just as the big tiger leaped towards the toad, her claws lighting up with blazing fire.

* * *

**April 26th, 214 – Training grounds 7**

«Ohi, Shino!» Naruto shouted happily, as he and Akimi approached the three poles of the training grounds.

The Aburame was intently studying the memorial stone. «Good morning.»

«Sensei is late as usual.» Akimi observed. «I just hope he can make it.»

«Kakashi-sensei always keeps his word. He said he would come, or at least send a Kage Bunshin... so he is gonna arrive.» Naruto said. «Still trying to figure out why sensei always stares at that thing, Shino?»

«Yes» was the curt answer. «But I am narrowing it down. Of course, without breaking it in Konoha's secret archives, I doubt we could really find an answer.»

«What's your best angle?» Akimi asked sitting down.

«Academy reports. You were right about them, it's awfully easy to access them.» Shino replied. «This at least explains how you knew so much about us when you started Academy.»

«Knowledge is power.» Akimi replied.

«We should put it in the Rules.» Naruto spoke up. «What did those reports say, anyway?»

«Sensei used to be the Sasuke of the class. Emotionally wise as well.»

«No freaking way!» Naruto shouted.

«But he graduated very early... it was time of war.» Shino curtly said. «The report also mentions Kakashi's father killed himself.»

«The White Fang.» Akimi replied. «Gramps once told about him. Said he was a great man.»

Shino and Naruto weren't surprised she knew about it. «What happened?» Shino asked.

«It's common knowledge, anyway.» she shrugged. «You can found info about him in any books about Konoha's famous shinobi, in the library. Although is probably not the best accurate of...»

«Your point, 'mi-chan?»

«Sensei's father killed himself after he sacrificed the mission for his comrade's life, because the scorn and disgust other showed him. Before that, he used to be a hero, on par with the Sannin in power and fame.»

«Harsh.» Naruto observed. «Could it be that sensei changed after that?»

«The name is not on the stone.» Shino gravely replied. «I looked for it all over.»

«WHAT?»

«Calm down, 'to-kun.»

Naruto growled in anger. «I can't believe it. I am going to change it as soon as I get that hat.»

«Sensei will be very happy about it...» Akimi smiled. «So you think is someone else, Shino?»

«I think it's a teammate. They both are dead. Maybe even Yondaime-sama.» the Aburame shrugged. «Maybe we should just ask him.»

«Not yet.» Akimi said. «Besides, I am convinced he will open up to us sooner or later. For now, I think he doesn't want to burden us. He is **our **sensei, he thinks he has to take care of **us**.»

«By all means we should take care of him as well.» Naruto murmured.

«He is coming.» Shino said suddenly. «So how is it training with one of the Densetsu no Sannin?»

«If you don't consider his perverted side, he is cool.» Akimi grimaced a little. «But his perverted side is very big.»

«Akimi is pranking him continuously. Last day she placed a seal near the hot springs that amplified noise. His giggling was heard all over the village and Ero-sennin was beaten up so badly he could barely move. Luckily it was after he taught us ninjutsu for the day.» Naruto laughed. «But he is cool to learn from him.»

«He is good with seals.» Akimi said. «I haven't learnt so much from a real person since Gramps died.»

«And Kuchiyose? Kuchiyose is awesome.» Naruto continued. «I love that technique, it's a second close with Kage Bunshin for my favourite.»

«And what about you, Shino?» Akimi asked, with sincere curiosity.

«My father is a very good teacher. He thinks I may finally be ready to receive a second hive, although I am uncertain about it.» Shino stopped. «I would like to keep the chakra for other things...»

«And how is our little side project going?» Naruto jumped eagerly. «Did the jutsu work?»

The duo was able to see a brief moment of joy in Shino's demeanour. «I made progresses and...»

«Hello, students!»

The three genin immediately detected something was different or wrong in Kakashi's voice. They turned in a split second.

«Sensei, what happened to you?» Akimi shouted, rushing forward the battered jōnin.

Naruto and Shino followed suit, worried as well.

Kakashi had his right arm bandaged and was walking with crutches, but his clothes were clean and neat. «I am all right, Amiki-chan.» he answered in his usual laid back tone. «Don't worry.»

«I can't help but worry, Kaka-sensei.» she replied. «You always downplay it. You have a medical report?»

The jōnin raised his eyebrow at her. «Actually no.»

She scoffed. «I'll let it pass for today. So what happened?»

Kakashi sighed. «It's supposed to be classified, but...» he shrugged. «I don't want you breaking and entering to acquire this information so I will tell you.»

«I would never!» Akimi protested, with her "innocent" expression.

Kakashi, Naruto and Shino looked at her as if saying "yeah, right." She scoffed again.

«Do you remember the little bugging _snake _you discovered during the Exams?»

Their faces darkened at once. Each one of them hated traitors with a great spirit.

«He attempted to make contact with Sasuke-san. He also managed to kill all the security ANBU we set up. He is far more dangerous that we thought... luckily I was there, or who knows what he would have done.»

«He... he did this to you?» Akimi hissed.

Kakashi watched in curiosity as her eyes flashed gold for a second, just as flames engulfed her fists. _"I saw this happen before... when Hokage-sama called Naruto a Jinchūriki. I wonder what it is and if she realises she is doing it." _«Yes.» he answered, with an eye-smile. «But you should see him. He got worse.» he tried to joke. Ghost

It didn't work. Akimi still looked a little murderous, as did Naruto and Shino. Well, Shino didn't look different from usual, expect the fact that his shoulders were tensed and his fists clenched... which equalled murderous for a normal person.

«Kids.» he said, warningly. «I am one of Konoha's top jōnin. Actually, I'm probably the strongest after Hokage-sama and Jiraiya-sama. I don't want you to seek out Kabuto in any way. If you meet him, avoid any confrontations if possible. I am not joking. You aren't at his level yet.»

«What can he do?» Akimi asked. She raised her hands in defence. «I won't look for him... _yet_, but if we met him it would give an edge to know his abilities, no?»

The jōnin sighed. «He is proficient with medical ninjutsu. Avoid taijutsu and close contact. He also Knows high level techniques, such Kage Bunshin, and seems to have learned how to summon snakes. And...» he stopped. «... I think he is good enough to heal himself during battle. Therefore he has great endurance. He is a very dangerous opponent.»

The trio nodded.

«Now promise you won't seek him out.»

Once the trio had done soon, Kakashi nodded in approval. «Now, let's talk about you three. What have you done this week?»

«Kuchiyose!» Naruto shouted.

Akimi sighed. «And our usual taijutsu, kenjutsu and ninjutsu training. Jiraiya-sensei also taught us something about seals, a defensive jutsu, a supplementary one...»

«Are you being vague?» Kakashi asked, amused.

«Well, if we are to spar I can't tell you anything about what we can do, can we?» Naruto exclaimed. «It would give you an edge.»

«I am not sure I'll spar with you today.» Kakashi eye smiled. «I am supposed to be resting.» and he gave them fake air quotes.

«Why aren't you?» Akimi cried out. «You should...»

«I am going to supervise. You three are going to spar.» he looked at Naruto. «You may provide us with an opponent for you three?»

«A toad? Sure, no prob.» Naruto said. «I can't summon anything bigger than these trees, though.»

«I am sure it will do.» Kakashi turned to Shino. «How is it going?»

«I am working on a way to limit the Sharingan's effectiveness. Also, by mastering different techniques than my Kikaichū, I am hoping to confuse Uchiha-san.»

«Because he will expect you to only use your insects.» Kakashi nodded in approval. «And?»

«I am practicing my reconnaissance skills on the other combatants of the tournament. I have avoided Uchiha-san so not to upset ANBU. I am rather focusing on Team's Gai and the Suna genins.»

«Are you?» Kakashi eye smiled. «What can you tell us about them?»

«Gaara-san doesn't really speak with his brothers. The other two often converse quietly with their sensei.» Shino shrugged. «I have a hunch they are plotting something... but I wouldn't really bet even one of my Kikaichū on it.»

«Keep me posted.» Kakashi said. «Now, I think it's best if we start. I'll be able to gauge your improvement better by observing, anyway. Naruto, go ahead.»

«**Kuchiyose no jutsu!**» the blonde shouted, calling on Gamaze.

«Damn it, brat!» the toad shouted. «I was having a snack. What a drag.»

«We'll get you some bowls of Ichiraku's special meal if you spar with us.» Naruto smirked. «And prove yourself to be a challenge too.»

Gamaze smirked. «You are on, brat.» he exclaimed, unsheathing his sword. «Tell your little friend to be careful. We toads enjoy eating insects now and then...»

«Be careful... you may not able to stomach **these **insect, toad-san.» Shino said. «Standard formation?»

«You bet.» Naruto shouted, flashing handseals. «Let's give sensei a good show!»

* * *

**REVIEW ANSWERS: **

**NATSUxERZA 123456**: _thank you so much for reviewing. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know you are a fan of Jiraiya =) _

**Luna Night****: **_butterflies will be. And don't worry, Shino won't summon anything really big until at least the second part (post time skip). I'm really glad you enjoy the humour I tried to put into the story (flashback no jutsu is amazing, but sadly I didn't come up with it on my own. I read it somewhere and it stuck.) Thank you for reviewing. I am glad you are enjoying the story! _

**Deathgeonous****: **_thank you for reviewing! I appreciate the advice and I will try looking for a beta. Well, yes Italian is my first languages and I am sure it influences my writing style a lot. I started to write in Italian after all XD. _

**Confused****: **_I am pretty sure I explained it before... Hinata isn't really going to play a big part in this story. I had to exclude someone to include Akimi into the story without creating tons of OCs for another team._

**Neo Amon**: _thank you so much for reviewing! I am glad you enjoyed the chapter =) You are right, of course, they don't even suspect Gaara has a tailed beast. The nightmare wasn't really discussed in this chapter, but in the next ones the topic will return. What did you think of Jiraiya/Naruto/Akimi interaction? _

**xxOMGgalxx: **_thank you so much for reviewing! I think the chapter did answer your question. What did you think? =)_

**Trishi: **_thank you so much for reviewing! I'm glad you enjoyed the fighting scenes. I always find them difficult to write. I'm also happy you liked the interaction between Team 7. It's kind of easy to write now because I'm more familiar with their personalities and their dynamics (if this makes sense to you). I hope you liked this chapter as well. _

* * *

**CHAPTERS NOTES: **

_So, first thing off: I was planning to only show glimpses of the training month, so to keep up suspense and surprise you on what they will really be able to do afterwards. But if you prefer more details, just let me know and I may consider writing more scenes. By the way, I dealt with the Kabuto situation in an indirect way, without really describing it. Hope that it's all right with you. _

_Second, does any of you want to beta or know someone who may want to beta this story? If so, PM me. I can't really figure out how the beta searching system works on the site and is really bugging me. (any clarification of this is also very welcomed.) _

_Also I would love if some of you were interested in just giving me advices about the storylines. I like to hear a second (or a third and more) opinion about my story. _

_For example, should Shino's contract with butterflies come from his clan (like an heirloom) or do I make him the first to sign it? What do you think? I also wanted to remember you about the poll about Shino's affinity. I'll close it soon. =) _

_Next chapter should be up before next Monday/Tuesday, cause I am going away this weekend. It will deal with Akimi and Naruto (and partly Shino) relationship with some of the other rookies. _


	20. Chap 19 It's not only about the training

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

_Author's note: Thanks to everyone for reading! __**Answer to the reviews are at the bottom**__. _

_Right first thing off: I am incredibly sorry for the HUGE delay in updating. It has been more than three months! Crap... I apologise to all the readers and fan of the stories, especially to my reviewers, but I had problems finding the time to write especially after exams began. When I did have time to write, I just could not do it. I spent hours looking at the white pages on my pc. I really hate writer's block! Just one thing, I don't intend to abandon this story. _

_Second thing: __**EDITING. **__I must graciously thank __**Deathgeonous **__for agreeing to beta my work. I have most of the chapter edited and I will update in the following days. _

_Third thing: resulting from the editing itself the first chapters will have "..." for speech and '...' for thinking, instead of «..» there was before. This chapter has this layout as well. _

_Sorry again for being so late, I hope you enjoy the chapter: _

**It's not only about the training**

**May 2nd, 214 – Library of Konoha, Hokage Mountain**

Akimi entered the great building with a beaming smile, inhaling the scent of old paper and ink. She loved that smell. "Good afternoon, Raida-sad." she bowed to the librarian, who was actually a retired jōnin and also controlled visitors for clearance.

The first floor of the library was filled on books about economy, history, science, geography, politics, fictional books etc. It was basically a civilian library. There, you could also find some introduction to the shinobi art, but nothing major.

There was a small section dedicated to academy students, mainly covering things such as chakra control, taijutsu styles or strategy. The students could require the books from the librarian himself, after presenting the necessary proof they were, indeed, students.

After graduating and getting a ninja ID card, one could access to the backroom of the first floor. There, one could find scrolls about more powerful fighting styles, D and C rank ninjutsu and genjutsu and also some tome about Fūinjutsu.

To access the second floor of the library, one needed B rank clearance, i.e. chūnin rank. The archives of more powerful techniques, the A rank ones, were held within ANBU HQ. Or so Kakashi-sensei said. He also claimed that chūnin could get special clearance to access it. Which was why Akimi was so hell-bent to pass the exam. She **was **going to become a chūnin.

"Akimi-san, it's always nice to see you." the old man greeted. Raida was not tall, nor he was small, but simply of average height. He had long whitened hair and a small pointed beard. He also wore a pair of small glasses. All in all, he seemed harmless enough, but Akimi spotted he was a retired shinobi the first time the two met and the man happily confirmed. "What can I do for you today?"

"Actually I got clearance to get one of the advanced Fūinjutsu books from upstairs... and I was wondering if I could go to the back room while one of your assistants gets it?" the girl gave him the note Jiraiya had handed her a couple of days before.

"Sure thing" the old man smiled. "It should be ready in ten minutes or so, you can collect it on your way out."

Akimi bowed in thanks and turned towards the back room. It was not that she needed any scroll or books, considering how well endowed was her own personal collection, but she was addicted to reading, so she wouldn't turn down the chance of browsing a library. It was actually the first thing she did the day after graduation: explore the new section of the library.

Plus, she found the place quite relaxing. Not many people went there, anyway, she only met Sakura there... quite often, actually. Akimi smiled, breathing into the scent of the library once again, before closing her eyes. _'So, what should I get? Mmm, I doubt that any of the Taijutsu books can help me, not now that both Sabura-san and Jiraiya-sensei are helping me with it. Strategy? It's always good to read about it... or genjutsu? I also think I may have a look at the medical section. I was lucky Oro-teme didn't hurt any of us seriously, cause I am not sure what I could have done then...' _

"Akimi-san?"

The black haired girl immediately snapped her eyes open, her body automatically flexing to answer any possible threat... before opening in a welcoming smile. "Sakura-san." she nodded to the pink-haired girl. "Fancy seeing you here."

Sakura laughed. "Yeah, I think we are the only ones from our graduation class to come here on a regular basis."

"I for sure know that Naruto-kun has never set foot here. He usually sends me anyway." Akimi laughed as well. "Have you just arrived?"

"Yes." Sakura nodded. "Kurenai-sensei suggested to keep working on my abilities outside of training with her and I thought of coming here to get some ideas, you know... although I know that I should be working on my physical conditioning."

"Well, pushing yourself too hard is a mistake as well. If you strain your body too much then you would lose all the time you would then need to recover." Akimi smiled. "How is it going anyway? you seem tougher than the last time I saw you..."

Sakura looked surprised at this. Sure, she has explained to Kurenai what happened during her second exam and asked for help. The jōnin had actually been very pleased and more than happy to help. They had been focusing on the basics: physical conditioning and chakra building, but Sakura doubted there was a visible change in her muscles yet.

Akimi smiled more widely. "Your chakra's reserve is bigger." she explained. "I'm a sensor."

Sakura nodded. "Like a natural one, or you learned?"

"A bit of both. Let's say that I... have an affinity to sensorial abilities and I've trained to use them. Like everything, you need to practice. You could learn as well. It's easier if you have good control and I think you have the best control out of those who fought the preliminaries. You should talk about it with Yūhi-san."

"I think I will. Akimi-san, can you... can you help me?"

Akimi tilted her head, not answering right away. Sakura fidgeted. "You have asked already... and I apologise for not answering right away." she started. "I see no problems in helping you, but I do have a pretty busy schedule for next month."

"Of course, you are in the finals after all!"

"Naruto-kun and I have Sundays free. Jiraiya-sensei actually ordered me and Naruto to stay apart during this day, because according to him we spend too much time together. Which is stupid, because we don't spend any free moment of our time together." she stopped. "I would probably already killed him if it were the case."

Sakura was uncertain about what to say, clearly remembering Akimi's fierce protectiveness.

The girl softly smiled. "He can be a real baka time to time."

Sakura giggled. Then she stopped, as if registering something. "Did you say Jiraiya? As in Jiraiya-sama of the Sannin?"

"Well, yeah." Akimi shrugged. "I am really grateful to have the chance to learn from him, but he has some major flaws. Like... he is a super pervert."

"Super... pervert?"

"It's a long story..." Akimi nodded to herself. "Which I don't think you really want to know."

"I don't?" Sakura asked. "I'll leave it at that then."

Akimi giggled. "Uh, what about we look as some books while we talk?" she moved towards the medical section, her meeting with Sakura did remind her painfully of what happened in the forest of Death.

Sakura followed her.

"I think it's best if you figure out from your sensei how to go about your taijutsu style. However, you should consider that you are not really suited for melee combat. In a team, you would be an excellent support fighter, but not the heavy hitter."

"Nor I want to be, actually."

Akimi laughed a little at this. "Considering that your sensei is Konoha's genjutsu mistress, I doubt you would find anything useful in that section... so that leaves medical section. You may want to pick up a book about strategy, I'm heading over there next."

Sakura nodded.

"Then, if you have free time to kill and don't want to exert yourself too much, throwing weapons practice is always golden."

"What about Fūinjutsu?"

Akimi looked sharply at her. "It's a very difficult to learn. Very time-consuming. However, I think that knowing the basis of it is always good. But the books here are not very good. I can give you a better one to introduce you to the Art."

"Whoa." Sakura said, overwhelmed. "Thank you."

Akimi raised an eyebrow. "You seem surprised."

"You are just a very reserved person..." Sakura trailed off. "And yet you have been so friendly. Oh, kami, that came out wrong... it wasn't an offence."

"It was pretty true, actually." Akimi laughed. "I don't usually bite. Unless someone pisses me off. Mmm." and her gaze became lost.

"Something wrong?"

"You know, in order for us to train together we should properly getting to know each other. All this years I have seen and seldom talked to 'fan girl Sakura'. I never spoke to Haruno Sakura. So far, she seems to be quite an interesting person."

The rosette gaped.

"So, what are your personal thoughts on ice-cream, Sakura?"

* * *

Naruto gulped. He wasn't really intimidated, because – hell – he was the most unpredictable and knuckleheaded ninja of Konoha. Still, he didn't want to get Shino in trouble by somehow angering his father.

Shibi Aburame was squaring him up and down. Well, the man wasn't really moving his head and he wore sunglasses, so Naruto could only assume. The elder Aburame crossed his arms and finally nodded at the blonde genin.

"Finally I'm able to meet you, Uzumaki-san." Shibi said. "My son has told me quite a lot about you."

"Has he?" Naruto asked, surprised. "I mean, I..."

"Of course, he told me a lot about you by Aburame's standards."

The boy restrained a chuckle. So, Shino had gotten his sarcasm by his father after all. "Of course."

"So, how are you coping with what happened in the Forest?" Shibi asked, beckoning Naruto to follow him into the house, away from the doorsteps where they had been standing on. "It must have been a shock."

"I'll make due. Brooding too much can't make me good, right?" Naruto replied, somehow finding himself at ease with the older man. "And I train a lot, I'll catch up with the snake-teme in no time."

Shibi didn't reply, but Naruto swore he saw his shoulders tremble a little, as if he were amused.

"Shino is meditating in the courtyard." the Aburame said, as they stopped in front of a door. "I thank you for coming to help him... and perhaps to drag him away from training for at least some time."

Naruto ruffled his hair, embarrassed. "You are welcome."

"I'd like to ask you and your friend Katora-san to make some time for us next weekend. My wife wants to have you at dinner... and I want to show you our vault. I think there is something you two can help us with."

Naruto nodded, not about to turn down a food offer. "Sure thing, dattebayo!" he threw his fist into the air. "Thank you!"

"Good." Shibi said and, without adding another word, he left.

Naruto shrugged. _'He talked a lot, for an Aburame. I guess it overwhelmed him.' _He turned to open the door, careful not to make too much noise. He didn't want to startle Shino.

His teammate was sitting very still under a tall tree. Naruto watched around, studying his surroundings. It was almost automatic for him to do so, even when he was in a friendly environment. The forest around the Aburame Compound was dark and it was difficult to see, especially because the air seemed somehow denser than usual.

He narrowed his eyes. _"Spores?" _he wondered. Then he smirked: he just had an idea.

"Naruto."

The blonde turned. "Shino." he nodded.

"Thank you for accepting to help me." the Aburame said. "I can do the Clone technique well now, but I still think it uses too much chakra."

Naruto smiled. "I've been thinking about that." he replied. "You want to use the technique as a distraction to cover your Kikai, right?"

Shino nodded. "Exactly. Uchiha-san knows a Katon jutsu too many, in my opinion."

"Well, when you are not fighting against a Sharingan user, the purpose of distracting can be achieved by regular Bunshin, can it not?"

"I suppose so."

"And Kage Bunshin are an exact replica of the original." Naruto smirked widely. "Moreover, when they dispel, their spare chakra gets back to the user."

Shino raised, moving in a way that Naruto recognised as excitement. "And my Kikai absorb chakra."

"Precisely." the blonde nodded. "And you can even make them overload themselves, because in the end it's going to help you."

"Do you think it will really work?"

Naruto shrugged. "One way to find out." he said. "But seeing that you are going to suck my chakra out, you are then coming with me to socialise and meet the other guys."

Shino stayed silent for a while. "I am going to make it really painful for you."

"It's not like I will let you do that so easily. Do you have a training ground here?"

* * *

"So basically I have been thinking a lot." Sakura explained, while the two girls walked with their ice-creams cones in hand. Akimi had made a storage scroll for Sakura, to hold the books she checked out. "The second exam was an eye opener."

"Kiba-san said you went out of the village on a C-rank..." Akimi observed. "While I understand than meeting a foe of the calibre of Orochimaru is shattering for anyone, you should have been a little prepared for the rest... I mean the normal exam."

"Kiba and Sasuke-kun did most of the work on that C-rank. Besides, Kiba brags a lot. We were attacked by two dozens of bandits or so and Sasuke-kun killed them, activating the Sharingan in the process... Kurenai-sensei was doing recon a little forward, so that's why we felt unsafe for a second. She was back in few minutes tough."

"Was it his first kill?" Akimi asked.

"I think so. But he didn't seem bothered." Sakura said. "Sasuke-kun always keeps his cool."

'_She still has some fan girl tendencies. That's troublesome. Uchiha-san walks a dark path. He may see the Cursed Seal as a blessing... which is not good. Arrogant as he may be, he is going to become powerful...' _ "Do you mind if we speak honestly about Uchiha-san? And about your crush for him?"

"It's not a crush!" Sakura exclaimed. "I love Sasuke-kun."

Akimi laughed and the other girl glared at her. She bite off her cone, before saying. "Honestly, Sakura, we are only 13!"

"Still I love him, I know it!" Sakura huffed, annoyed.

"Sorry, I should not have made fun of you." Akimi actually looked apologetic. "I'm just gonna ask you some questions and make some objective observations. I promise you that I'll respect your opinion."

Sakura nodded.

"Why do you love him?"

As expected, Sakura started to rant about Sasuke's coolness, how beautiful he was, how good he was at the shinobi arts etc. etc.

Akimi sighed. "Do you think you know Uchiha-san?"

"Of course I do." Sakura replied, affronted. "We have been at the Academy together. We are teammates!"

"All right." Akimi conceded. "Tell me: what is his favourite colour?"

"... black?"

"I don't know, do you? Maybe it's blue. Or maybe is red, who knows? Favourite food? Hobby? Does he even have a hobby? Dream? Do you know if he likes to read, what he likes to read?" Nothing. "Do I need to keep going?"

"That doesn't mean anything! I mean, I know those things about Naruto! He loves orange. His favourite food is ramen. His hobby is pranking. He wants to be Hokage and he doesn't like to read."

"That's because Naruto-kun is a loudmouth! And that's doesn't even scratch the surface of who he really is." Akimi stopped. "My point is that you know next to nothing about Uchiha-san. And how can you love someone you don't know? You may like him. You may be smitten of him. But you most certainly don't love him. Open your eyes."

Sakura gritted her teeth. "Do you love Naruto?"

Akimi stopped in her tracks. "I..." she lowered her gaze. "... think so. He is my best friend. There is so much history between us... I don't know if I am in love with him. But probably yes."

"Why?"

Akimi smiled. It was a brilliant, beaming smile. "Naruto-kun has been a constant in my life for the last two years. At one point, I lost everything... if you don't count Kaera. After I arrived in Konoha, Naruto-kun and I have been supporting each other since then. He is the only one person in this world I completely trust and I feel safe with."

Sakura looked taken aback by her sincere confession.

"And I know he is far from perfect, Sakura. As I told you, he can be a baka. An annoying baka. Half of the time he speaks without thinking. He is rude. He is a pervert. And the list goes on. But I know, and I'd bet my life on it, he'll be there for me if I need him. What's not to love?" Akimi raised her head. "I'm just saying, stop obsessing over Uchiha-san. Your life can't revolve around him. And then _if _you get to know him and _if _you discover that you really like him, or more, then you are free to obsess as you desire. Think about it, how much has this _crush _influenced your life?"

Sakura sighed. "Ino was my best friend, you know?"

"You mentioned it." Akimi nodded. "And I suppose you have become 'nemesis' because of your common crush on Uchiha-san?"

Sakura nodded, dejectedly. "I miss her."

"Then maybe you should make peace with her. Or try to."

"She'll never listen."

"Mmm." Akimi shrugged. "Maybe you should seek her out, talk about the Exams... is not like her match was that glorious. Tenten-san kicked her ass." she stopped. "Damn Naruto for rubbing his bad mouth off me!"

Sakura giggled.

"Anyway, you could ask her to train together. After all, I think Uchiha-san may prize strength a lot more than he does long hair, you know."

Sakura stopped and gaped. Again. "How do you know about that? It was before you arrived to the village."

"And that, Sakura, is one of the many things you _don't _really want to know." Akimi smiled. "So, how about I show you my house? I can give you that book and we can have a light spar if you wish."

* * *

"So what did you do?" Naruto asked, entering the kitchen. One of Akimi's shadow clones was making dinner, the real one was reading – no surprise there.

"Well, at first I felt the utter despair at being far from you, but after a couple of hours I managed to get a grip on myself." Akimi melodramatically said. "It was hard though."

He chuckled. "So library?"

She nodded. "How did it go at Shino's?"

"Fairly well." Naruto smiled, proud of himself. "His father seems all right, I must say."

"Shibi-san is a very intelligent and competent man." Akimi agreed. "I told you he made me understand he would not judge you because of your... burden."

Naruto smiled. "I trusted your opinion, but seeing it with my own eyes... it was heart-warming." he opened the fridge to help himself with something to drink. "He invited us in his vault, by the way."

Akimi lifted her head in surprise. "What?"

Naruto shrugged. "He wanted to repay the favour I think... and, apparently, he wants our opinion on something they discovered there. I am not sure what. He is not that talkative."

"He is an Aburame." Akimi giggled. "It is a great honour. Basically, it's like he just set a informal alliance with us."

Naruto's eyes widened. "Really? Is this thingy really so important?"

"Extremely. The Aburame are one of the most prominent clans in Konoha, their support in the Council of Fire is invaluable." Akimi smiled. "One step closer, 'to-kun."

The boy seemed too unfazed to reply: he had a beaming smile and was obviously lost in thoughts.

Akimi turned back to her book, but after while she asked: "And how are the other guys, did you meet them?"

"I did. Shika is complaining about training. Apparently, Asuma-sensei has decided to take it up a notch. Chōji is fine, but I think he asked his clan for extra training as well. Kiba also seems to take things more seriously." Naruto shrugged. "We hung out a little, then went to Ichiraku, normal things. Any good books in the library?"

"Couple." Akimi replied, noticing he was still a little hyper. "I've also meet Sakura there."

Naruto was finishing to drink his glass of juice and he spattered it around. "Sakura? No honorifcs?"

"New friend." Akimi explained. "It's actually been fun. We argued a little about boys, then we sparred and I also cut her hair."

"You argued about me and Sasuke?"

"Not everything revolves about you." Akimi smirked. "But yes."

"Do I want to know the specifics of the conversation?"

"No."

"Ok, anything I can do for help?"

"Plenty." Akimi smiled. "Thank you, 'to-kun."

* * *

**May 9th, 214 – Yamanaka Flower's shop**

"I am not sure I should really do this." Sakura said, with a small quiver in her voice.

Akimi shook her head and opened the door of the shop. "How do you expect to become a better kunoichi if you can't even face your former friend?" she asked, entering.

Sakura sighed and followed. "You don't really know what Ino can do."

Akimi deeply inhaled the deep, sweet smell of flowers in the air. "You mean besides breaking your eardrums with her high-pitched voice?" she joked. "She won't do anything to you in her own shop besides possibly screaming."

"I suppose you are right."

Akimi smiled. "You are making an offer here, this is why such a public setting is appropriate." she looked around. "Here, send chakra to this tag to activate a small private area around you."

Sakura took the piece of paper. "Thank you. So... I should probably go, right?"

"No time like the present." Akimi gave her a thumb up. "I'll be around, browsing. Good luck." and she walked down the aisle of the shop, towards the seeds selection.

Sakura immediately noticed Ino, who was placing some vases of yellow, bright flowers in the shelves. She took a deep breath and approached her.

"Yamanaka-dono." Akimi deeply bowed to the tall man behind the counter. "It is an honour."

"Curious." it was the reply. "You didn't even glance at my goods, but came straight here. So you only want to talk with me, I assume?"

"I was a little obvious." the girl admitted, with a small smirk. "But I thought it would be a waste of time to try and fool one of the leading members of ANBU Intelligence Division."

"Interesting." Inoichi mused. "Who are you?"

"Katora Akimi." She bowed again. "Genin under Commander Hatake's squad. I was also with your daughter at the Academy, Yamanaka-dono."

"I see." The man nodded, making his long blonde pony-tail wave. "The rumours about you weren't exaggerated. So, how can I help you?"

"It is a very delicate and personal matter." Akimi said. "I am well aware that I am overstepping my boundaries, but I really need your counsel on this."

"Evidently it is so... considering this is the first time in weeks I cover a shift here and you knew." Inoichi smiled. "But please be more clear."

"It's about..." Akimi paused. "... mindscapes." she finished in a whisper.

The shinobi suddenly looked sharper and narrowed his eyes. He glanced around. "I think we best continue this discussion in the back of the shop."

Akimi bowed for a third time. "Certainly. I may also provide a basic privacy seal for you."

Inoichi nodded. "Very interesting." he muttered to himself.

* * *

"What do you want, forehead?"

Sakura winced internally at the bitter venom in the other girl's voice. She shrugged. "I'd like to have a chat..."

Ino frowned. "What the hell, forehead? Did you hit your head?"

"You could say." Sakura murmured. "In a figurative way. The Forest of Death changed me."

Ino scoffed. "It was a terrible place but I think you are a little exaggerating." she smirked. "Are you sure you really want to be a ninja?"

Sakura felt a surge of anger. "Yes!" she exclaimed. "I am actually working hard to become a true kunoichi. Are you? Tenten totally owned your ass."

"It's not like you fared better against Akimi. And she is a rookie too."

"Akimi would have won against most of the other genin there. Even Sasuke..."

Ino narrowed her eyes. _'She didn't say "kun"...!' _"What happened to you, forehead?" she asked, with the slightest note of concern in her voice.

Sakura sighed. "I almost died in the Forest." she answered. "I can't really say more, but it... it changed my prospective."

"You almost died? You had Sasuke-kun in your team!"

"Exactly!" Sakura shouted. Then she stepped back. "Pretend I didn't say that. It is complicated... and I can't tell you about it."

"Why not?" Ino shook her head. "You are not making any sense."

"What happened... it was very serious. We were ordered not to talk about it." Sakura shrugged. "But was matters is that it gave me chance to think thoroughly about things and..."

Ino stayed silent.

"... I miss your friendship. Do you remember how things used to be?"

"We are rivals now." Ino stated. "You know it, forehead."

"I do, but does this mean we can't be friends? Are you sure it is worth it?" Sakura smiled a little forcefully. "I want a truce of sorts."

"Truce?"

"Yes, we could still spend time together, to shop and to train as friends, while still fight for Sasuke's attention. I am tired to be 'enemy' with you. I want my friend back."

"Sakura, I..."

"Just think about it, Ino." Sakura smiled. "This is all I ask."

"What will happen when I finally get Sasuke-kun?"

"If you win him fairly then I will simply accept it. And I hope you will do the same."

Ino scoffed a little.

Sakura sighed again. "So, what do you say?"

* * *

"You should not even be aware of what a mindscape is." Inoichi said. "And yet you do."

"Yes." Akimi smiled a little. "I share one with my familiar, this is the main reason I know about their existence. I have started to learn more about them just in the few last weeks, though."

"Aren't you in the finals?" Inoichi asked, crossing his arms. "I hear Kakashi's squad all passed."

"Chūnin Exams aren't everything." Akimi massaged her forehead. "I believe I was attacked by an old enemy of my clan, in my own mindscape. Or perhaps I was sucked into this person's mindscape. Either way, I probably was in great peril. Sandaime-sama suggested I asked you to help."

Inoichi crossed his arms, his brow furrowed in thinking. "What you speak of... it should not be possible, at least not without direct contact." he said. "You said Hokage-sama sent you?"

"Of course... I am sorry I forgot to give you this." she handed him a small scroll. "It is from Sandaime-sama. I am not lying."

The man quickly read the note. "I am sure your understand this was necessary. I cannot speak of such delicate matters with the first random genin that enters my shop."

She smiled politely. "I know."

"So tell me, did you directly meet this man you speak of? When did this attack occur?"

"The night before the preliminaries." she replied. "I was very distressed because of what happened in the Forest..."

Inoichi nodded, indicating he knew what she was talking about.

"... and this man appeared to me in a dream. He also told me he 'drank' on my emotion to find me. And my familiar, Kaera, said my chakra was messed up."

Inoichi scratched his head. "I never heard of something like this before." he murmured. "I suppose that both you and Hokage-sama assumed I would be knowledgeable about this because of my family jutsu."

"Well, yes." Akimi nodded. "You shoot out your spiritual energy to take out someone's else energy, so I thought you entered their mindscape as well."

"Normally we don't." Inoichi replied. "While we would be able to do it, it is forbidden. There are incredible high risks for us... and for our target as well. Still, for that to happen we would need contact."

"Perhaps there was contact, just not a direct one." Akimi mused. "Through emotions, maybe?"

"You have been thinking hard about all this. It could be. Either way, I'd say this is definitely a Kekkai Genkai, so it is hard to say without knowing the specifics to it."

"What about Genjutsu?"

"If your chakra was messed up, it could probably be something like that." Inoichi said. "But if true mindscapes were involved, you really risked to die."

"Do you know if there is a way for me to defend myself from such attacks?"

Inoichi sighed. "I am not sure." he replied. "I heard you are good with seals, perhaps that is the solution."

"I don't have enough information to do that."

Inoichi nodded. "I'll help you with that then." he said. "I will send you a couple of books. You may find something. But for a while, you need to be cautious... be sure something is there to wake you up, just in case."

"Kakashi-sensei suggested that as well." Akimi said. "I thank you for your time, Yamanaka-dono."

"You are welcome. It was a very interesting chat." the Shinobi chuckled. "I should have known Ibiki wouldn't have been impressed for nothing. Next time, do bring your teammates. I would personally like to meet them."

Akimi bowed. "I shall. Now, I actually was interested in something from your shop as well." she said. "Do you happen to sell spores too?"

* * *

**Later that evening, Aburame's clan compound**

"Dinner was really lovely, Shibi-san."

The tall coated man nodded. "You already told that to my wife, Akimi-san, but I appreciate your zealous compliments." he was walking ahead of her, Naruto and Shino. "We are almost there."

"I can't wait!" Naruto jumped, excitedly.

He earned a sharp glare from Akimi, before the girl turned back to the elder Aburame. "I must also thank you once again for letting us see your vault. It's an honour." she said. "I hope we will be able to reciprocate."

"You shall, later on." Shibi nodded curtly. "But right now, you are very busy training for the finals."

Akimi smiled. "I suppose you are right."

Shibi stopped at the end of the dark corridor they crossed, down below the house of the Clan Head. Then he bit his finger and quickly performed a long set of hand seals, hiding his hands below his coat. He finally slammed his right hand into the wall, which trembled with the strength of the blow.

Few seconds later, a door appeared in the same very spot and Shibi nodded to himself, opening it, before stepping aside and making an inviting gesture to his guests and to his son. "Enter."

Akimi was the first in, followed by Naruto and finally by Shino.

The Aburame's vault was completely different from Akimi's and Naruto's one. For instance, it was very dark: instead of large bracers, it was only lit up by two small torches. Moreover there was an extremely moist air, that reminded Naruto of the Land of Waves and of Zabuza's Kirikagure technique. Lastly, the room appeared to be entirely dug into raw earth, without using stones of any kind: both the walls, the ceiling and ground were of solid dirt.

The place was fairly empty, Naruto noticed what he believed to be gourds, of several sizes and shapes. He remembered that Shino explained to him they were used to host extra hives of insects. He could also make out the shape of a couple of shelves on the wall opposite to the entrance and he assumed the secret scrolls and techniques of the clan were there.

Shibi closed the door behind them and the sound seemed to awake Naruto and Akimi from their scrutiny of the vault.

"This place really suits you, Aburame-dono." Akimi murmured. "Impressive."

Shibi gave out a soft chuckle. "My son, Shino, is my sole heir. One day he will ascend to clan headships as I did. You three are very close and I can see your bond is solid and true." he said. "For this moment on, our clans are allied."

Akimi and Naruto nodded.

"And friends." the blonde genin added. "Above all, friends."

"Indeed." Shino said, smiling behind his collar.

"Well, then." the elder Aburame said. "Now that we have gotten this formality past us, there is something I want to show you. I think you may be of help, Akimi-san."

The man walked towards the left lateral wall and stopped halfway there. "We did not suspect anything until we moved a shelf for mere chance..." he explained, gesturing towards the wall. "... because Shino was looking for a certain scroll to help him with his fight with Uchiha-san."

Akimi got closer, Naruto shadowing her, but letting her take the lead. The girl immediately spotted the strange signs and kanji above the wall. "A seal..." she whispered in awe, moving her fingers over it. "A very old one, I'd say."

Shibi crossed his arms. "Probably as old as the compound itself..." he said. "And we were one of the first clans to settle here in Konoha."

The girl nodded and moved her hand in front of her, just before Katon chakra blazed from her skin, illuminating the wall properly. Shibi knew of her skills in nature manipulation, but seeing it firsthand impressed him slightly.

Akimi stared at the lines on the wall for several minutes. Sometimes she would trace one of them or mutter behind her teeth. Eventually she turned, dispelling the flames she had evoked. "It is a very complex seal." she said. "I am not sure I understood everything, but the main array is definitely a blood seal. I suspect it is a storage with a lot of protection around."

"Do you believe it has also a set of handseals to activate it?"

"That is where it got difficult." Akimi said. "Usually the combination to activate a seal are passed down in scrolls or orally. It is very complicate to recreate them only by observing an old seal."

"But you know how to do it." Naruto spoke up. "Ero-sennin worked hard with you on that."

Akimi nodded. "That he did." she replied. "Of course it's a very tricky branch of Fūinjutsu, so what I tried to determine is whether there were or not defensive mechanism that would destroy the whole array if a wrong combination is given."

Shibi nodded. "And?"

"Well, there is a destructive array up there, very small I almost didn't see it." Akimi indicates the top of the wall. "But it is definitely linked to the blood seal. Whoever created the array did not want anyone but an Aburame to activate it, but did not care greatly about the combination, probably because mistakes can happen, especially with long set of handseals."

"It makes sense." the man stepped forward. "How long do you believe the combination to be?"

"Easy." Akimi sad. "You need to count all the symbols that come out from the main array that you may notice is circularly shaped. They almost look like spikes."

"I can see that." Shibi nodded. "So... fifty-three. Fairly long."

Akimi nodded. "We could try it right now, but I don't expect it to work at the first try."

"But seeing how the seal reacts may help you find out the right combination." Naruto said, smiling. He did want to occasionally show off his knowledge about seals. "Right?"

"Right." Akimi smiled, just as Shibi bit his thumb and watched her with expectation. "So, Snake... Tiger... Ram..." she started to say.

Few minutes later the girl nodded, saying: "... and Snake."

Shibi slammed his hand into the wall and array did light up, but nothing else happened. Akimi sighed, a little defeated. She turned to study the array, which was still shining. Eventually she nodded. "I am ready again. Let's try with: Ram, Snake, Tiger..."

It took Akimi five tries before she got the right set of handseals, but Shibi did not show the slightest annoyance for her failures. He did compliment her though, sounding a little impressed – and for an Aburame that meant huge shock.

The clan head was so busy giving his regards to the girl, he did not look immediately at what the seal revealed to contain. Nor he needed to.

"SUGOI!" Naruto exclaimed. "That is a Summoning Scroll!"

"Holy crap!"

Naruto and Akimi had just witnessed something very rare: the stoic Shibi, head of the most stoic clan of all Konoha (and the ninja world), swore animatedly. It probably was the most memorable moment of that peculiar evening.

* * *

**May 10th, 214 – Outskirts of Konoha**

"So, brats..." Jiraiya started with his booming voice. "How do you think it is going?"

"I'm going to kick ass, dattebayo!" Naruto shouted, enthusiastic as usual. He was also jumping around.

The blonde was never serious unless he needed to be. Jiraiya snorted while Akimi giggled a little.

"I'm not sure, Jiraiya-sensei." Akimi replied, sitting on the ground. "I feel I have all the knowledge necessary to do well in the exam, but I don't know if I can back it up."

After the first day of training, as soon as Jiraiya actually taught them something, Akimi immediately started to call him 'sensei'.

Jiraiya looked at her sharply. "Many kunoichi have had this one issue. But you should know your stamina is well above chūnin level."

"And you should know this Exam is not exactly normal. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst." she shook her head. "But I have a little side-project to help me feel... safer."

The Sannin arched an eyebrow in curiosity.

"A summoning tattoo linked to a chakra storage seal." she explained. "For Sabura-san."

"He is your strongest summon, right?" Jiraiya asked, receiving an affirmative nod. "Well, this is a good idea. Although, maybe you should spare it for the boss of the Tiger clan, no?"

"That's what the project is about, sensei. I _know _how to make a specific summoning tattoo with the blood of a _certain _creature. I want it to be general."

Jiraiya's eyes widened. "You mean like the jutsu itself?"

"Hai. That way, as you have enough chakra stored in the tattoo, you can summon _anyone _from the clan." Akimi smirked. "Meaning that I could theoretically store enough chakra to call Zukogane-sama... but I think I'll never try it before I can actually summon her on my own."

"It makes sense. I have to say, Akimi-chan, sometimes I'm really scared by that brain of yours."

The girl ruffled her hair, a little embarrassed.

"And what about that seal for water jutsu?" asked Jiraiya.

"Oh, I've been researching constantly about it. Actually, considering that they are both space/time seals, I've been studying the way the Summoning Contract is made. So the two things are linked. Also, I've been looking at the scrolls you have given me, plus a couple of tomes from my own clan's collection."

"I thought your grandfather gave anything above B rank to your summons to keep." Jiraiya said.

"Everything, _but _Fūinjutsu material. I've got the whole thing with me. Gramps didn't want to hinder my growth, since he saw how much talent I had for it as a child. He drilled me a lot about being careful in making seals and everything else."

Jiraiya nodded.

"And it was a true blessing, because thanks to our shared ink, Naruto-kun can power up my seals, thus covering my lack of stamina."

'_It's almost incredible that they have a shared ink. Even Minato and Kushina started to use one only after they were engaged... although Kushina-chan could easily use her special chakra and Minato was a little powerhouse, so...' _ "Anyway, you didn't answer."

Akimi smirked a little. "I'm almost there."

The Sannin nodded. "Right, considering the day of the Exam is getting closer, I wanted to make a little change in our training schedule. Basically, I shall not teach you anything new, but I'll rather focus on seeing you use what you already know as best as possible. Ehi, gaki, what are your thoughts on the matter?"

Naruto had obviously got bored with the conversation and was now doing push up to keep himself occupied. "Well, two things." he said, without stopping. "I want to try and summon one of the Great Threes. And, what about my _special _chakra?"

"_That _chakra can be an useful ace in the sleeve for you... if you can control it." Jiraiya observed. "But I can feel your reluctance."

Naruto leaped on his feet, glaring at the man. "Well, excuse me if I'm not so eager to use the help of the _one thing _has made my life hell for years, has almost destroyed Konoha and has caused who knows how much destruction!" he spat.

Akimi got up as well, putting a calming arm on Naruto's shoulder.

"Of course, you are right, 'mi-chan." the blonde said after a few minutes.

Jiraiya felt a little pang of annoyance. "Will you ever tell me how the hell do you do it?"

Naruto just smirked. "Now, where would be the fun in that?"

The Sannin grunted. "_Damn brats._" he muttered, shaking his head. "Right, Naruto, why don't you try and see if you can summon Gamaken or Gamahiro with only your own chakra? Don't attempt to call Gamabunta yet."

"Why?" Naruto frowned.

"Because he is most likely to give you a test to see if you are worthy of him." Akimi said. "Meaning that it would be better if you could use _that _chakra as well when you do it, which would leave you with more chances to actually pass it."

Jiraiya nodded, not bothering to ask the girl how she knew it.

"Gamakichi speaks a lot of his _pops_." Akimi said. "I pay attention to details."

Naruto huffed. "Ehi, I'm also observant! You are just a damn nerd."

She just raised an eyebrow at him.

"Not... not that it's a bad thing, 'mi-chan."

She smirked.

"I... I'm just going over there and attempt the jutsu, now!" he babbled.

"Baka!" Jiraiya snapped. "The Great Threes have this name for a reason. One of them is enough to obliterate this place!"

"Where should I go then?"

Jiraiya snorted and made a Kage Bunshin. "Come on, I'll show you a suitable spot. Akimi, this clone is going to work with you in Fūinjutsu, or with any jutsu you need help with."

"Thanks, sensei. Oh, Naruto-kun, you may want to summon 'kichi and ask him to warn the Great Threes you will attempt to summon them. And be respectful... I'm serious!"

The blonde sheepishly nodded. "Will do."

"Now, clone-sensei, would you mind if we go to my house? I have only parts of my research materials here and..."

* * *

"The main problem would be distance." Akimi said, after staring intensely at the scroll where she had drawn the seal. "Also, this seal is huge!"

Jiraiya was pensive. "Theoretically, the more distance the greater chakra would be need to transport the water."

"What if the extra amount of chakra destroys the main array because of the overload amount of energy? That's dangerous..." Akimi shook her head. "And I'm not sure yet the water would shoot out of the seal in a useful manner."

"Further calculations are needed." Jiraiya stated. "And you need to have one of the gaki's clones to test it out."

"Just let me... yeah, if I move a little main storage seal from the one who links it with the user's seal and then..."

"Yeah, I see it! There would be enough room to put a seal that determines with precision the direction of the jet of water..."

"Which would be effective in a, say, 45° angle, right in front of the user. So to make it more useful... the chest. I could draw this on the armour Naruto-kun plans to buy for the exams."

"Chain mail?"

"Leather reinforced with chain mail. We ordered custom ones from Tetshu-sensei. They should be ready for the exam."

The Sannin nodded in approval. "You were right, Akimi-chan, you only need to put some finishing touches on this seal. It's, I daresay, a masterpiece."

She blushed. "I couldn't do it without your help."

"Mah, you could. You would have just needed more time. I wonder why did I never think of something like this..."

"You are not a water type, right?" she said. "And it's not like you really need a seal to get earth or fire."

"True enough."

Akimi yawned. "I'll go make dinner. Why don't you dispel? So the original will know I'm inviting him over. We need to discuss _Kyūbi's _chakra." it was safe to say it aloud, since they were in the Vault.

"Something tells me that's not really a mere invite."

She just smiled innocently at him.

* * *

Jiraiya was standing with his arm crossed, on top of a small hill near a deserted area north of the village. He watched down, beyond impressed.

Naruto had actually managed to summon Gamahiro, one of the Three Great Battle Toads. The brown coloured toad had been quite impressed by the blonde, but agreed to let Naruto summon him only after making him fight against his clones to show his own skill. He also said he would speak well of him to his brothers.

Naruto was obviously exhausted, laying breathless on the ground, but he was smiling like an idiot. Considering the feat he had just achieved, Jiraiya could not blame him. He thought he would never find another apprentice after Minato's death, but know he almost regretted not being able to come to Naruto sooner. Training him and Akimi gave him hope once again.

Just then, he received the feedback from the clone he left with Akimi. "Bloody hell." he muttered.

"Something wrong, Ero-sennin?" Naruto immediately asked.

"I think Akimi has basically completed your seal."

"Oh, I knew she could pull it off. I'll be off to help her with dinner."

"Actually she invited me. We have a lot of discuss." Jiraiya pointed at the blonde's stomach. "Get over here, I'll use Sunshin."

* * *

"So, you used Kyūbi's powers two times. During the battle of the bridge and during your fight with Orochimaru." Jiraiya summarised, finishing the glass of sake Akimi had given him after dinner. "Both times you were angry out of your mind because someone hurt Akimi. Am I right?"

The blonde nodded.

"So the trigger seems to be strong emotions." the Sannin pondered.

"Strong negative emotions." Akimi added. "Which would make sense, because the Kyūbi would see it as a chance to escape."

"Could it be possible?" Naruto asked, worried. Now using _that _power didn't seem such a good idea. "Can it escape?"

"Only if you die." Jiraiya said. "Or if you use all its chakra. Which would probably result in your death anyway."

"Right, but how do I do it on purpose?" Naruto asked. "And without risking _it _influencing me? I mean, the two times I used it, I couldn't think straight... what good would it do to have extra power if I become more reckless and idiotic that I already am?"

Jiraiya stayed silent. _'Kushina sealed the Kyūbi in a way that it couldn't move nor speak. And she certainly didn't think to use its power __**ever. **__Neither did Mito-sama.' _"It's difficult to say. Kyūbi is the proudest of the Nine Tailed Beasts. And the most uncontrollable." he finally said. "I heard that the Nibi and the Hachibi are more docile and even collaborate with their host. As such, they are the more powerful Jinchūriki."

Akimi wanted to growl at him for using that world, but decided not to. She knew the Sannin didn't think of Naruto in those terms. Or she hoped that he didn't. The things he said, anyway, she already read in the scroll the Sandaime had given her. "I think..." Akimi started uncertainly. "I think you need to speak with the Kyūbi. Make a deal with her."

The two shinobi looked at her like she was crazy.

"What? It's not like the Kyūbi is going to freely give Naruto-kun anything! And it's not like Naruto can overpower the fox, at least not right now! Let's get real."

"It would be extremely dangerous..." Jiraiya said. "But it could work."

"How do I **talk **with it?" Naruto spat.

The Sannin looked uncertain. "Try to centre yourself. Meditation." he eventually said.

"I have been meditating for years and I never..."

"You never wanted to." Akimi interrupted him. "When I first bonded with Kaera, we couldn't control the link. I had to meditate until I was able to find my mindscape..."

"Mindscape?"

"It's the mental representation of your inner self." Jiraiya explained. "Only the most able and expert shinobi, monks or samurai are able to literally _find _and _enter _in it. You can do that, Akimi?"

She shrugged. "It's easier for me, and I suppose for Naruto as well, because our two seals – albeit they are very different – tamper with the concept of mindscape itself. I mean, the seal Gramps made created a connection between me and Kaera from nothingness... with the consequent fusion of a part of ourselves, and therefore of our mindscapes, where the telepathic link is. I can accede that part. I'm working on the real thing, but I'm nowhere near to enter my **true, whole **mindscape.

Jiraiya nodded. "So you think that Naruto and Kyūbi share a mindscape as well?"

"Yeah. I found some parts of Naruto's seal are kind of similar to the Bonding Seal between me and Kaera. But if you think logically about it, Kyūbi has been into Naruto since he was born, modifying his chakra coal and _living _with him."

Jiraiya nodded again. "Technically, you could say that Kyūbi only exists in Naruto's mindscape, its body is destroyed. I think the Yondaime put some kind of barrier to allow it not speak directly with you, Naruto, but I bet if you purposely seek to speak with Kyūbi you would be able to do so."

"So I need to meditate?" Naruto asked. "But I though the main focus of the exercise is not to think about anything."

"It's a little different." Akimi explained. "You need to think about the seal, the Kyūbi, your connection... space everything else out and **will **yourself to speak with it. Then, you should be able to enter your mindscape."

Jiraiya looked serious. "But don't attempt it without me there. If something goes wrong..."

Naruto nodded. "Anything else I need to know?"

Akimi smiled. "I have a book about Mindscapes you should read."

"And you need to consider what exactly you are going to say to Kyūbi. Striking a deal **will **be difficult." Jiraiya said. "That conversation is going to be a **battle**, sure you will not use ninjutsu or taijutsu... but that doesn't make it easier."

Naruto sighed, before smiling once again. "So does any of you have some ideas of what leverage could I use against a thousand years old demon?"

Jiraiya sighed, pouring himself another glass of sake. He was in for a _long _night.

* * *

**REVIEW ANSWERS: **

**Trishi: **_thank you so much for reviewing! I am glad you liked the chapter and the Kabuto thing at the end. I did not really feel like writing a fighting scene between him and Kakashi, so I opted for that solution. I'm very glad you liked it. I hope you liked this chapter as well (despite the huge delay in updating)_

**shootingcuz**: _thank you for reviewing! Glad you liked the chapter =) _

**NATSUxERZA 123456: **_thank you so much for reviewing! I am glad I actually managed to make someone laugh with that scene, because that was exactly what I was trying to do. =) Glad you enjoyed the chapter (even though it took me so long for updating)_

**Neo Amon: **_thank so much for reviewing! I am really glad you enjoyed the chapter and also that I made you laugh! =) And you got it extremely right: it was not just a very funny scene to write, but it also showed how close Naruto and Akimi are (not to mention how their Loyalty Seal comes in handy) I hope you liked this chapter as well and sorry for the retard in updating._

**deathgeonous: **_thank you so much for reviewing and accepting to beta my work! I hope you like the chapter =)_

**nakuuo: **_thank you so much for reviewing =) I hope you enjoyed the rest of the story as well =) _

_**Rainbows **__my mother language is Italian, but I studied English for a while and I've been abroad for a year learning the language... Thanks for the review =) (and I am very sorry but I can't understand what you mean with your question: "But what's with the around what they say?") I'm glad you enjoyed the story._

**ILOVEANIME123: **_thanks so much for reviewing and sorry for the enormous delay in updating. I am glad you enjoyed the story. About the Kinjutsu thing, I actually think that it an accessory definition for a jutsu. Like, you can have a forbidden ninjutsu technique (like Kage Bunshin) or a forbidden taijutsu technique (like Reverse Lotus etc), or even forbidden genjutsu techniques (like the technique the first or second Hokage uses during the fight with the Third when Orochimaru summons them)_. _I hope you liked the chapter! _

**Skipper917: **_thank you so much for reviewing =) I am glad you liked the story and sorry I updated so late! _

_**cornontheaub: **__thank you so much for your review and your compliments =) I hope this chapter didn't get too boring, because there is no real action, but if it did, please do tell me why, so I can at least try to make next ones more exiting. _

_**jaelin910: **__you are absolutely right. I think I messed up the word when I translated it in my head from Italian to English because I did know about the meaning of the hypo and hyper prefixes. But thanks for pointing it out and reading the story! =) _

_**1412 karasu: **__thanks for pointing out those mistakes. For example I really did not know about the existence of the word "critiques" which makes me a little puzzled. I've already gotten a beta, so thanks for the offer, but no. _

_**ex-ellen: **__thanks for reviewing and here is the new chapter. I am sorry It took me so long to update. I hope you enjoy it. _

* * *

**CHAPTER NOTES: **

_Nothing much to say, really. This chapter is really just filler but it also does build up interaction and relationship between the characters. I just hinted a couple of the tricks Shino is preparing for his match against Sasuke and tried to show how I am trying to get Sakura down to an acceptable if not likeable character. I hope the chapter did not bore you too much. Next one will be a little more interesting, I think. Our favourite nine tailed demons will make its first official appearance. (and I am not making any promise about when I will update it, because I obviously can't keep them) _

Next chapter: the month of training ends (plus a handful of very interesting meetings) 


	21. Chap 20 Meeting Demons

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

**Edited: up to chapter 11 **_I have updated all the chapters up to chapter eleven "The Chūnin Exams Begin". _

**Author's note: **Thanks to everyone for reading!Answer to the reviews are at the bottom**.**

_I think my writer's block is gone. I am going to enjoy this as long as it lasts! So I actually thought of waiting a little before updating, but then I decided "What the hell!" and here I am. I am actually very happy because **I've reached +100 favourites and alerts**, and it's a delightfully sweet milestone! **Thanks to everyone for showing your support**! I hope you enjoy the chapter... here we go: _

**MEETING DEMONS **

**May 13th, 215 – Katora Residence, Garden**

Naruto had spent the last few days preparing for his 'chat' with the Kyūbi.

"You should see the bright side." Akimi had told him. "This is great practice for when you'll have to deal with all that _boring _diplomacy once you are Hokage."

Naruto had smiled at her blind faith in him, before saying: "But then I'll have you at my side as advisor, no?"

"True. But there will be times I can't be at your side... what I can do, though, is working with you on your diplomatic/persuasive skills."

He had chuckled. "You have been trying to do that since we first met."

"Well, before this you really didn't have a reason to listen." she had smirked at him. "Now, I think the first thing you should know..."

Jiraiya had also helped him, pointing out the little he knew about the great demon. The old sage had seemed really uncomfortable and shifty with the whole thing. Both Akimi and Naruto believed that he was hiding something.

It was not use thinking about it now, Naruto told himself. It was, after all, time.

"Naruto." Jiraiya said to him, just as the blonde sat down to commence the 'experiment'. "Remember that you are the lord of your mindscape. If things get tough, just will yourself out."

"Nah, Ero-sennin, I'll be fine." he took a deep breath, just as Akimi sat down in front of him, an encouraging smile on her lips. "Besides, it may take a while to get there in the first place."

The last thing he saw was the Sannin crossing his arms, his face strangely serious, before he closed his eyes and started with the series of breathing exercises Akimi had taught him so many years ago. Instead of focusing on his own chakra as he usually did, he tried to find that small part of foreign chakra that belonged to the fox. He focused on his belly where the seal was, imagining the lines of the bloody thing, which he knew very well from the time he and Akimi studied it to figure out what it was. The seal that held the mighty Kyūbi no Kitsune. The seal that was a prison for him as much as it was for the fox.

Then – he didn't know how much time had passed – he suddenly felt himself falling. He harshly landed on a stone floor, managing to cushion most of the impact thanks to his reflexes.

'_The first thing one should know about mindscapes, is that one can be armed in there as much as in the real world. If not death, then a coma is a likely consequence of any serious damage gotten there. Thus, I urge you to be extremely careful when tampering with mindscapes and...' _So the book Akimi had given him stated. As Naruto massaged his sore knees, he realised it was very true.

He flexed his fingers. It was just like in the real world. He tried to call on his chakra as well, once again he didn't feel any changes. Even the familiar constant tingle of his Loyalty Seal with Akimi was there. It was interesting. He had to tell her.

'_I must be particularly careful. This mindscape is mainly my own, yes, but also Kyūbi's. The only problem is determine how much power I really have here.' _Naruto looked around. It was very dark, he could barely see. The floor looked wet. _'Well, I must be careful not to trip, but at least I can use Suiton. Right, I'm not here to fight.' _

He sharpened his senses. He could hear the noise of dripping water. "It's a sewer." he murmured. "I didn't think I was so fucked up." Unless the mindscape was more a representation of the relationship between him and Kyūbi, rather that his inner self. It wasn't really a good omen.

With a sigh, Naruto walked towards the sound, where he could also see a faint, reddish glow. His guts told him it was the right direction. He was right. Soon he founded himself in front of an huge gate made of metal bars. He saw a small paper tag with the Kanji for 'Seal', before hearing the almighty roar.

"**And so my jailer has finally graced me with his presence!**"

Before he could blink, Naruto saw the huge outline of a nine orange tails, followed by the appearance of a giant mouth. As the mighty Kyūbi growled at him, he struggled not to wince in fear. Blood red eyes lit up in the darkness. The demon was the embodiment of darkness, power and hate. Naruto had prepared for this moment, had know what he was going to do... but he did not expect of freeze in fear.

"**What do you want, midget? Why do you dare disturb me?" **the fox growled.

Naruto gulped.

'_You have one advantage. While it's true that being able to use Kyūbi's chakra would be a great asset to you, you don't really need it. So, even if the __**talk **__doesn't go well, you can just turn and get away without any repercussion.' _Jiraiya had said.

'_If you manage to put yourself in your interlocutor's shoes and predicts what he really wants, you already have a great advantage. Consider that the Kyūbi is a huge amass of malevolent chakra, which was said to appear whenever humans got too wicked and evil. Its arrival was the herald of destruction. How do you think it will feel after being imprisoned for 13 years? It will be bitter, it will hate you. It will try to manipulate you to get free. It wants __**freedom. **__Always remember this.' _ Akimi had said.

"I have come to collect rent, bloody fox!" Naruto shouted, as loud mouthed as he could. "And you will pay, dattebayo!" So much for his lessons in diplomacy!

The demon laughed. The sound was both terrifying and deafening. "**Ahahaha! Do you know who I am, boy? I am the Kyūbi no Yoko! Who do you think you are to**_** demand **_**anything from me?" **the beast clashed forcefully against the gate, its mighty claws getting between the bars and stopping an inch from Naruto. "**Come closer, I'll eat you, you little punk!"**

Suddenly Naruto felt an eerie calm and he did step forward. "The mighty Kyūbi no Yoko... stopped by a mere piece of paper. Maybe I don't need your power after all." he smirked.

"**WHAT? HOW DARE YOU?**"

"Listen, fox, we are stuck with each other, that's much is clear..." the lessons were coming back. First, state what can't be changed. Then, subtly say what you want. "I know you hate me, but we are linked. I die, you die. You may as well help me... I am not saying you have to like it. Hell, **I **don't like it."

"**Bah, you are a week, pathetic human. Why else would you be here **_**begging **_**for my help?" **

"I am not begging." Naruto forcefully said. "I didn't ask for you to be placed in me. But I have to live with it. I'm trying to get the best from this situation."

"**Best? Of course it would be best for you to use my chakra, but what **_**good **_**would it come from it for me, eh!? I may as well make you life hell as long as I am here, don't you think?" **

"Oh, don't worry. You already have done so. But I overcame it. Does it annoy you?"

Kyūbi growled. "**You damn brat!" **

"Listen, fox. It was not my fault you attacked Konoha: it was your own choice. Nobody forced you, no? Now you have to live with it!"

"**How stupid you are? YOU KNOW NOTHING! DON'T TALK OF SOMETHING YOU DON'T UNDESERSTAND, GAKI!" **

Naruto raised an eyebrow. _'So what? It didn't attack Konoha on its own volition?' _

"**I have been imprisoned for decades! Do you think I'll have you mock me like this? And do you expect me to lend YOU power, just like that!?" **

'_Decades? I am not that old... could it be...?' _"Well, I did not say it would be for free." Naruto shrugged. "I am here to deal with you, after all. So, what do you want in exchange?"

Kyūbi almost looked surprised, then he roared again. "**Rip that paper off!" **the huge, demonic mouth smirked. "**And I'll give you ALL the power you want!" **

"Do I look stupid? You know I am not going to rip that seal. EVER!"

"**Then forget my chakra, midget!" **

Naruto shrugged. "Fair enough." he turned towards the exit. "It's a pity though. Maybe we could have come to an agreement... after all this sewer isn't the best place to live in, is it?"

He received a growl in answer. "**Like you would care, human! I am only a demon to you, you probably think I deserve this!" **

"I do." Naruto faced the demon once again. "You have killed too many people and caused too much destruction. I don't know why, and frankly I don't care, nor I think you would explain yourself to me. It doesn't mean I can't understand your predicament. No body, not even the more despicable being, would like to be imprisoned. No matter how much it deserves it or not."

Kyūbi snarled again. "**Are you really willing to change this place?" **

"Are you?" Naruto asked. "I don't think this place simply reflects myself. You live here, after all, and you have your own mind..." he stopped, as if suddenly comprehending something. "Do you have a name?"

"**You...!" **Kyūbi sneered. "**Why do you ask?" **

"I know how powerful names can be. I just realised it. You have your own mind, your own thoughts and emotions. You must have a name as well."

"**And?**"

"Well, we are struck with each other, no? I may as well know how to call you, furball."

"**You have guts, human! I'm impressed: you may be worth the trouble of loaning you my chakra." **Kyūbi snarled. "**And perhaps I'll tell you my name... in a while." **

"Well then, how the hell do I change this place?" And just as he talked, the walls around him melted. "What...?"

"**It's already started, midget.**" Kyūbi growled.

"You may as well remember. My name is Uzumaki Naruto." the blonde smirked. "Future Hokage of Konoha! Until next time... enjoy your new home!"

* * *

Akimi was staring at him, her gaze concerned, her fist clenched and her body ready to leap in action. She immediately saw the change in his breathing, just as he opened his eyes. A pair of familiar, warm blue irises greeted her.

She sighed in relief, before smiling at him. He smiled back, then assumed a goofy, somewhat smug expression.

"It went well then." Akimi said.

Jiraiya was still looking troubled. "Did it, kid?"

"Yes! In reality Kyūbi is just a big old softie... he consented and we even hugged!" he heard a growl from his belly. "Joking."

Akimi was behind him in one second, swatting him hard. "Baka! Be serious!"

"It went... ehm, kind of well, right? At the beginning it only wanted to eat me, but in the end I agreed to change the mindscape – which was a stinking sewer, by the way – and it said it would lend me chakra. It also said it may tell me his name."

"Kyūbi has a name?" Jiraiya asked, surprised.

"Of course it has!" Akimi exclaimed. "How could it not? It's sentient! It's alive. The fact that it is malevolent, wicked and whatever is irrelevant."

"It actually seemed surprised I asked him about it." Naruto smiled sheepishly. "I think that's what convinced it in the end."

Jiraiya frowned. "Did it say something else?"

"Nothing special! The usual insult and death threat, you know..." Naruto jumped on his feet. "Enough talking, I'm hungry! Dattebayo!"

"I think that meeting a giant, ancient demon qualifies as an excuse to visit Teuchi-san. My treat." Akimi said. "Let's..." she hadn't even finished to talk that the boy Sunshined away. "... go."

* * *

Naruto dropped the empty bowl on the counter, making the sticks tilting against it. He let out a satisfied sigh, holding his belly with both hands. He was so pleasantly stuffed.

"Twenty-six." Akimi said from beside him, closing her book. She had finished her meal long before him, considering she had limited herself to the more normal choice of two bowls. "That's a new record for you."

Naruto burped a little, causing her to glare at him. He smiled sheepishly. "You try meet a... well, you get my meaning. I needed energy to recuperate." he looked around. "Where the hell is Ero-sennin?"

"He left somewhere between your tenth and eleventh bowl." she shrugged. "Said he had something important to do."

"So he is probably at the hot springs right now."

The duo giggled.

"Do you want something else, guys?" Ayame asked kindly from behind the counter.

"I don't think there is room for any." Naruto said, sighing.

"Now that's something we never thought we would hear." Akimi laughed. "Just the bill, Ayame, thank you."

The waitress nodded, disappearing in the back.

"I am almost afraid to see the number on that piece of paper..." Akimi observed. Her prevision was correct. "... damn it, 'to-kun, you are really bottomless."

Naruto laughed sheepishly. "It was a exceptional occasion, you know." he said. "Tell you what... I'll bring you home myself to make it up to you."

"What?"

"Ayame, old man, thanks for the meal. See you!" the blonde shouted.

"See you!"

"What are you doi..." Akimi was interrupted by Naruto sweeping her in his arms, before Sunshining away.

They landed in the garden, but the sudden movement made Akimi lose her balance. The two teens fell together on the ground, entitling with each other in the process.

"A little warning next time, 'to-kun." she murmured, a little baffled.

"But I did warn you." Naruto smirked, putting a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. "You just didn't catch it."

"Naruto!" she attempted to playfully punch him, but he easily stopped the blow in his hand.

That started one of their familiar wrestling matches, that ended with them suffocating their laughter in a heated kiss. Eventually, they parted and smiled at each other, a little breathless.

"I hate to ruin the moment." Akimi murmured. "But I feel we must talk about what happened earlier."

"I knew you were going to say that." Naruto got off her and sat on the ground. "I just felt really uncomfortable going into details with Ero-sennin there."

Akimi raised an eyebrow at him.

"I guess your paranoia rubbed off me." Naruto smirked a little. "Something was really strange... with Kyūbi I mean."

"How so?"

"First, did I mention the mindscape was a sewer, yes?" Naruto asked. She nodded. "It was really depressing. And then Kyūbi was... more imposing that I thought. I almost froze on the spot."

"But then I bet you opened your usual loud mouth and insulted it."

"Of course I did." Naruto said. "Which probably wasn't the brightest move."

"You don't say!"

"But then I got better. I said that we were struck with each other, so we should as well cooperate... but Kyūbi didn't listen. So we started arguing and..."

"Yes?"

"I told the fox that it wasn't my fault it attacked Konoha. It got so angry... saying that I shouldn't talk of things I didn't know anything about."

"You mean you think it hasn't attacked willingly?" Akimi asked, surprised.

"Yeah. Which has completely confused me. I mean, if it _hasn't _attacked willingly then I guess I'm probably wrong blaming it for my shitty childhood."

Akimi nodded. "It could be a good point to raise if you ever have to negotiate with it again. But I fear there is something else, is it?"

"It said also _'you can't understand what is like to be imprisoned for decades.'_ **Decades.**"

"Oh." Akimi exclaimed, even more taken aback. "But there is no mention of a Kyūbi's container before you in the scrolls Sandaime-sama gave us."

Naruto shrugged. "I know. Curious, isn't it?. Maybe it didn't really mean it, but..."

"This is so strange." Akimi scratched her head. "I've always wondered why Kyūbi attacked. Why? The story the Academy tells doesn't mention half a reason. And if it did, considering how well it has got the rest down..."

"... you wouldn't believe it. But can we trust Kyūbi either?"

"Probably not." Akimi replied. "But Kyūbi seems to be the only one to give us some answers. So we have two options: we either speak with it again... or we confront Sandaime-sama about it."

"Or we could do both." Naruto said. "I only wished you could come with me next time I have to talk with it... I would feel so confident."

Akimi raised an eyebrow. "A mindscape is the most personal thing there is." she said. "But... it could be possible."

"It could?"

She nodded. "I believe that is what Kuroken did. He entered my mindscape." she paused. "This why I knew so much about them... and the book I gave you was a loan from Yamanaka-dono."

"So you went with Sakura on her quest to make peace with Ino to have an excuse to talk with her father about this... because of their family expertise, right?"

"I was also supporting my friend." Akimi shrugged. "You know killing two birds with a stone and all that."

"So, why didn't you say anything?"

Akimi sighed and closed her eyes. "We are busy with the finals and everything else. I figured mindscapes would bore you, well before I thought about it helping you with Kyūbi."

"So we know that _Kuroken..." _he spoke the name with contempt. "... can enter other people's mindscapes. We also know that the Yamanaka clan can interfere with mindscapes as well, if necessary. But how can _we _do it?"

"Considering we don't have a kekkai genkai to help us, there is only one way left." Akimi turned to look at him. "Seals. We know they can temper with mindscapes. Look at me and Kaera, or at you and Kyūbi"

Naruto nodded. "Wait a sec!" he shouted.

"What?"

"The seal." he murmured. Akimi tilted her head in a silent question. "The Loyalty Seal, I mean. I could still _feel _it in the mindscape."

"Really?" she smiled. "Now this _is _interesting. A pity the Exams are so close, because I wonder..."

Naruto smirked. "I am sure you'll have time to work it out later." he said. "I know that look."

She laughed. "Only time will tell." she said. "Now I just want to ask you something... are you all right?"

"Surprisingly yes." Naruto said. "Not to say that I trust the Kyūbi, but now we know where we stand, so that makes me feel a little safer. For the rest... like you said, only time will tell."

* * *

**May 14th, 214 – Deserted clearing north from the village**

Naruto took a deep breath, closing his eyes. He formed the ram seal. _'That's it. Just lend me some of your chakra, fox... I've got a big toad to summon.' _Nothing happened.

Naruto was about to curse, thinking that his 'trip' to see Kyūbi had been a waste of time, after all, when he felt it. The chakra was hot, burning and foreign. It started moving like a spiral from his belly, before engulfing him completely. He opened his eyelids, seeing he was surrounded by a swirling dark orange aura.

Jiraiya and Akimi looked impressed.

"Are you in control?" asked the Sannin, wary.

"Hai. I think so." Naruto noted that his nails had sharpened, becoming almost claw like. His canine teeth felt bigger as well. "Let's see if this work!" he bit his thumb and the small wound closed in half a second. But he had the blood so... "**Kuchiyose no jutsu!**" he shouted. "**Gamabunta Oyabun!" **

The earth trembled. There was a huge cloud of smoke. Considering the big chakra signature she heard, Akimi thought he had been successful. As the smoke faded in the background, a titanic toad appeared.

The toad towered over the trees that surrounded them, and could have dwarfed any building in Konoha, almost rivalling with the Hokage Mountain. His skin was a rusty, dull red, with brighter markings around his eyes, mouth and part of his body. A long, slender scar run through his left eyes, but he could still see through it. He was holding a huge pipe in his mouth, from where he puffed a huge cloud of smoke.

"**What the hell?" **the toad thundered, his voice hoarse and gruff. "**JIRAIYA! Why did you call me in such a place? I was enjoying my morning snack!" **

'_Great, Naruto has a really an amazing timing, has he?' _the Sannin wondered, thinking of escaping. A quick glare from Akimi made him desist. The girl knew how to be devious.

"Ehi! I was the one to summon you, Gamabunta..." Naruto shouted, outraged. "... sama." he quickly added, feeling the sharp pang in his Loyalty Seal from Akimi.

"**Uh? The new summoner, eh?**" the toad roared. "**'hiro and 'ken told me about you**."

Naruto grinned, smugly. "Did they?"

"**However, I don't intend to be summoned around by a small gaki such yourself... not before you pass my test!"**

"Throw me whatever you want to. I am Naruto Uzumaki, future Hokage of Konoha, dattebayo! I will pass your test."

"**We'll see if your actions match your words, arrogant brat!" **the Toad roared**. "If you manage to stick on my head until sunrise I will let you summon me**." and without waiting for an answer, Gamabunta leaped away with violence.

Naruto almost fell, but recoiled at the last good second, sticking on the toad's skin with chakra. He shouted in joy as soon as he realised how cool it was to jump around on an huge animal, the wind blowing in his face. "Is this the best you can do, Oyabun?" he mocked.

He later discovered it was not a good idea to anger the powerful boss, but no matter what he tried, Gamabunta could not shrug off the boy. Naruto stuck on him, without faltering, starting to feel a little tired only deep into the afternoon.

Eventually, as the sun started to set, Naruto did felt drowsy. His heavy eyelids threatened to fall, but he didn't give up. He was Naruto Uzumaki after all. He gritted his teeth and braced himself, because the toad had started to shake more forcefully, as if he didn't want to lose.

In fact, losing to a thirteen years old – an annoying one, moreover – was really going to dent the Toad Chief's pride. Gamabunta was impressed yes, but he really did want to win. He was stubborn that way.

Pity that Naruto was the king of stubbornness himself. He did clang till the end, then, when he finally saw the sun disappear below the horizon, he sighed in relief, before closing his eyes and letting himself go.

Gamabunta caught him with his tongue before he crashed on the ground. He then leaped to the clearing where he had first been summoned. Jiraiya was there, scribbling furiously on his notebook. As he landed, the Sannin giggled perversely.

The Toad watched in amusement as a huge fireball shot in his direction. Jiraiya jumped out of the way. "Ehi!"

"Sorry. The laughter annoys me... I know you can't help to write your smut, sensei, but at least be quiet, please. I'm trying to read." a small girl said. "Oh, Gamabunta-sama, you are back. Who won?"

"**And who are you, girlie**?"

"Katora Akimi, at your service." the girl bowed. "I'm Naruto's teammates."

"She is his _girlfriend_!" Jiraiya shouted.

"How is this relevant to the situation?" she asked, just as the toad carefully placed Naruto on the ground. She immediately knelt to his side, checking him out.

Gamabunta chuckled. **"You are the summoner of the Tiger clan**?"

"Hai."

"**Next time the boy calls me, I have to congratulate him on a great catch.**" the toad whistled.

"So he won." Akimi said as a matter of a fact. She carefully shoved a chakra pill in his mouth. "He is very stubborn after all."

"**Indeed. And now I may as well go and enjoy my dinner!**" with that Gamabunta disappeared.

Jiraiya got closer to the two kids. "So how is he?"

"Chakra exhaustion. He needs a good night of rest" she explained. "Knowing him, tomorrow he will be up and running."

Jiraiya nodded. "Yeah, that's likely."

"You are carrying him by the way." she said. "If you are not home in five minutes I'll burn down all the smut in Konoha!" and she Sunshined away.

The Sannin gulped. "I wasn't going to leave him here anyway!" he shouted, bending down to lift the boy. "No need to threaten..."

* * *

**May 16th, 214 – Konoha Hospital**

"So tell me again," Akimi started, "how did Chōji-san get into the hospital?"

Naruto shrugged. "He ate too much."

"Really?" Akimi giggled. "That's kind of... a little ridiculous."

"Considering the amount he usual eats without getting sick, I wonder just **how much **did he have."

"Scary thought." Akimi shrugged and went to speak with the receptionist. "Which room is Akimichi Chōji in?"

"307, take the stairs on the left." the nurse absently answered after checking her files. She actually didn't look up once. Akimi figured it was best, seeing as she could be one of those prejudiced about Naruto-kun. She really didn't want to start a scene.

She beckoned Naruto and they went on their way.

Predictably, Shikamaru was near Chōji, keeping him company.

"Ehi, big stud!" Akimi saluted. She had been much more carefree for the last couple of days. She wasn't really sure why. "How is it going?"

Chōji moaned, while Shikamaru looked at her like she had grown a second head. "They won't let me eat."

Naruto chuckled and Akimi also smiled a little, amused.

"Could it be because you are being treated for indigestion, Chōji?" Shikamaru lazily asked.

This time they all laughed.

"So how it is going, guys?" Chōji asked. "Are you ready for tomorrow?"

"As ready as one can be." Akimi said. "I am not really worried for the _exam._" _'Although I do have a bad feeling...' _

"We are going to kick ass, dattebayo!"

"This is so troublesome." Shikamaru exhaled. "Because of you, Asuma-sensei has been pushing me. He doesn't want to look bad compared to your sensei."

"Uh, we are sorry?" Naruto said, in a very unconvincing way.

Shikamaru shook his head. "Not your fault. What a drag."

"I would ask you if you are ready or nervous, but I think you really just don't care, do you?" Akimi smirked. "Will you at least be there tomorrow?"

"My mother is going to get angry if I don't. Just troublesome."

She nodded. "Come on, Shikamaru-san, with that brain of yours you'll have no problems getting the promotion. Then you can chill."

"Maybe you are right but..."

Akimi and Naruto suddenly froze, their smile faltering on their lips. They looked at each other for a split second, then they disappeared in a blur of movement.

"What on earth?" Chōji asked, puzzled.

Shikamaru was confused as well, but then he felt it. "Killing intent! Chōji, get help! I'm going after them."

Shikamaru ran out of the room, along the long hallway of the hospital floor. He could sense the chakra of the three ninja flaring up. _'Geez. Akimi and Naruto have really outclassed us.' _ He thought, heading in that direction.

The shadow user finally arrived in a room which he soon recognised as Rock Lee's one. He looked around trying to understand what had happened. The bed was full of sand. Akimi was crouched in her unique stance in front of it. A step forward was Naruto, his face hardened and his tantō unsheathed in front of him. On the other side of the room Gaara, the disturbing Sand nin, slowly got up. Shikamaru supposed that the red haired boy was trying to kill Lee when Akimi or Naruto took him by surprised striking him and sending him clashing against the wall. Said wall was now visibly dented.

"Ehi, you!" Naruto shouted in that moment. "What the hell are you doing here?"

Gaara didn't answer, but sand started to flow again behind the blonde. Naruto didn't move his gaze, but jumped out of the way nevertheless, courtesy of Akimi's warning and his own trained senses.

'_How?' _Shikamaru wondered.

"This is an hospital. It's not a place to fight." Akimi said then, her voice cold and even. "Please go away, Gaara-san."

As an answer, sand tried to stab her. Operative word being try. Gaara froze mid-attack, his eyes widening.

"You have good timing, Shikamaru-san." Akimi bowed to him. "Thank you." she hadn't moved even though the spike of sand was only a centimetre from her face.

"What were you trying to do to Brushy Brown?" Naruto shouted. "Are you mental?"

"I tried to kill him." Gaara simply answered, his face an emotionless mask.

"Why would you want to do that?" Shikamaru asked, surprised by the eerie statement. "You won the match. Do you have a personal grudge against him?"

"No." Gaara flatly answered. "I'm going to kill him only because I want him dead."

"That's the most selfish thing I ever heard!" Naruto shouted pointing a finger at him. "Teme!"

Shikamaru started to sweat. _'If he does something, can we handle him? I don't know how strong are Naruto and Akimi really.' _Gaara was looking straight at him and at Naruto, because they were in his line of sight. Akimi moved behind him. Shikamaru noted that she was busy drawing something. _'A seal? Oh, that may work... I need to distract him.' _

"If you bother me, I will kill you, too." Gaara said, in 'as a matter of a fact' tone.

Naruto growled, but didn't say anything. Shikamaru mentally took note of this. _'I've always suspected he was not really as stupid as he acted. He is not a _dobe_, that's for sure.' _

"We know you are strong. We saw your match against him" Shikamaru said, indicating the bed. He smirked. "But we are pretty good as well." he was bluffing, although he wasn't sure how much. "We didn't show our strongest moves at the preliminaries... and it's three versus one here."

It was true, after all. Akimi had defeated Sakura with mere taijutsu and Naruto had only showed _**Kage Bunshin **_and a Fūton jutsu. Shikamaru himself didn't know what they could really do.

"You are at disadvantage here." Shikamaru continued. "But if you listen to us, we can let you go..."

Gaara looked unfazed. "I'm going to say this only once more." he robotically stated. "If you bother me, I'll kill you!"

"Just try." Naruto growled.

Shikamaru mentally cursed. "Don't antagonize him! He is a strong as a monster."

Naruto ignored him. "You think you can come in my village and threaten my precious people like this?" he hissed. "You think I am afraid? I have already faced many monsters!"

"Monsters? I know a great deal about them... I have one inside of me." Gaara simply said. "My father sealed into me an incarnate of sand, so I could become the ultimate ninja... and as I was born, I took the life of the one who was called my mother. I was born a demon."

"What?" Shikamaru exhaled, sweating profusely.

"You don't believe me? It' a very high form of the Sealing Arts." Gaara's expression didn't change... and that made the whole ordeal even more scarier. "Shukaku. That was his name. It's said to be the soul of an Elder Priest of Sunakagure... before me, it had been sealed into a teakettle."

Shikamaru was trembling, Naruto himself was looking troubled. Akimi had stopped drawing as soon as the boy had said 'Sealing Arts'.

'_Shukaku... it's the name of Ichibi.' _she said to Naruto through the Loyalty seal. '_No matter what, we must not knock him out..._'

"Your father did that?" Shikamaru said, incredulously. "What a sick way to be a parent."

Gaara chuckled a little. "Family." he spat with contempt. "Love. Let me tell you what family is: people linked together by hate and murderous intent. I killed my mother at birth and my father, the Kazekage, taught me the secrets of ninjutsu. I grew up alone and spoiled... and I thought that was love. Until that incident happened."

"Incident?" Shikamaru repeated.

"What happened?" Naruto asked, quietly. His answer was silence. "Well, what happened?!"

Gaara's eyes widened and his expression could only be described as crazy. "My father tried to assassinate me several times."

"But you said he spoiled you!" Shikamaru protested.

"I was growing to be so powerful they started to be afraid of me. The sealing technique used at my birth... it left me unstable. They feared my emotions. Since I was six, I have been both the village's triumph card and _a threat._ So why do I exist and live?" Gaara paused. "I could not find an answer, but as I live I need some reasons to be alive... or it would be the same as being dead. Eventually I concluded that I exist to kill everyone else. I founded relief in my fear to be assassinate at any time: by killing them, I could recognise my reason to be alive."

'_That's twisted.' _Naruto thought. _'And the scariest thing it's that I can somehow understand him.' _

"I fight for myself and love only myself. As long as I have other people to kill to make me experiment the joy of leaving... I'll have a reason to exist."

Shikamaru was really afraid. _'He is so out of it... but he has the power to back it all up.' _ Then, sand started to float again. _'What? He should be trapped in my Kagemane, what the hell?' _

"I'll prove my existence..." Gaara murmured, as the sand started to move towards them.

Shikamaru couldn't move because of the fear for one moment.

"Naruto!" Akimi shouted, showing a piece of paper in Gaara's shoulder. "Now!"

"**Fudou** **no Fūin! Activate!**" the blond shouted. Gaara froze again. "I can't hold him for long."

Akimi nodded and kicked the Sand genin in the guts with all her strength, her foot surrounded by flames. Gaara was sent flying against the wall once again, even as the sand changed their direction towards Akimi. "We need to get Rock Lee-san out of here!"

"**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." **

A dozen of clones appeared. "Two of you, get him out of here. Shikamaru, go with them. Find help!" he flanked Akimi. "We'll hold him off." he looked at Gaara. "You won't touch them."

"What's going on here?" a voice asked.

The genins turned towards the entrance. Maito Gai was standing there, frowning. "The matches are tomorrow. This is an hospital, not an arena."

The arrival of the jōnin seemed to snap Gaara out of it. He slowly raised and walked towards the door, his head bowed. However he stopped there for a second. "Tomorrow I will kill you all. Just wait." And he was gone.

The clones disappeared and Naruto suddenly looked proved, he was panting. His gaze was lost into nothingness. Akimi walked to him, putting an hand on his shoulder.

"He tried to finish what he started during the preliminaries, didn't he?" Gai asked.

Shikamaru nodded.

"Thank you for stopping him." he looked at the cracked wall. "You two are pretty strong."

Akimi smiled at him, politely. "Rock Lee-san is a comrade. It was our duty. A duty we gladly upheld." she looked at Shikamaru, before tossing him a scroll. "Give this and our best wishes to Chōji-san. **Sunshin no Jutsu!**"

And with a burst of flames, Naruto and Akimi disappeared, leaving behind a stunned Shikamaru and an impressed Gai.

* * *

"He is like me!" exclaimed Naruto. "He is like me!"

Akimi leaned on the doorframe. They had just entered their house. "When did you ever went on a killing rampage?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You know what I mean!"

"I do." she nodded. "Naruto..."

"I could have been like him. I was alone and hated and... If the Jiji and Iruka didn't... if you..."

Akimi sighed, before reaching out to put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "You didn't, though. Wonder what could have been or could have not been won't do us any good. You overcame the hate. This is what matters."

"Dear kami! What is he doing here? He'll kill anyone who stands in his path!" Naruto shouted, his eyes wide and fearful. "You can't fight him... you... he'll kill you."

"Calm down." Akimi placed her other hand on Naruto's shoulder as well, forcing him to look straight at her. "Calm down. I will be careful. I promise."

Naruto breathed heavily. "I could..." he stopped. "Somehow, I could relate to him."

Akimi nodded and raised one hand to caress his cheek. "I know." she murmured. "You know what kind of pain Gaara has suffered and is suffering. You share the same bleak past, but it is your reaction to it that makes you different from him."

"He is insane! He is a heartless killer." Naruto exhaled. "It's so scary to think that I could have been like him."

Akimi shook her head. "I know."

"I... I feel also so sorry for him. He is a victim as much as all the ones he has killed. It's the hate of his family and village that made him like that... I..."

Akimi smiled. "You have such a good heart, Naruto-kun." she replied. "But we need to be careful. Gaara is very likely an enemy now: the demon has influenced him. He is unstable. And, we must assume he can use partially or fully its powers. I thought he was a dangerous opponent before, now I know he is lethal. And he may kill all of us... unless he is stopped. And there is only one among the genins that can have a shot on him. You."

Naruto looked troubled. "I could summon one of the Great Threes if he ever got on a full scale attack."

Akimi nodded. "Exactly. You are the only one with enough skill and stamina to keep up with him." she looked pensive. "I just... don't understand why he told us. He lost a great advantage. Although, he probably tried to intimidate us."

"With a certain degree of success, I may add." Naruto took a deep breath. "Shika didn't really believe him. He simply though he was completely mental."

"Which is probably also likely." Akimi sighed. "I need to warn Hokage-sama. Naruto... I think it's best if you stay here. You are freaking out. I'll leave a Kage Bunshin with you."

The blonde shook his head. "I'll blew some steam off. Just don't be too long." and he stormed towards the training grounds.

"Don't pass out. Tomorrow is the big day! And I think it's paramount you have all your energy for it!" Akimi shouted, before turning. Her shoulder trembled a little. Now she was seriously worried... and even a little scared. _'Kaera, look for Kakashi-sensei or Jiraiya-sensei. If the Sandaime is busy, then I'll speak with them.' _

'_Hai!' _

* * *

**May 18th, 214 – Alley near Konoha's Arena**

"Akimi, Naruto."

"Ohi, Shino." saluted the blonde.

The bug user observed the couple with a critical eye. He had seen them only a week before, during team practice, but they had once again changed. He also noted that Naruto looked serious – well, as serious as he could get.

"Something wrong?" Shino curtly asked.

Akimi sighed. "I believe so." she grimly said. "Something is going to happen. And sadly, it will not only be us kicking ass around."

Naruto shot her a glance. She had been like this since the previous day. He looked at Shino. "After what happened in the Forest of Death we were worried. You know what Kaka-sensei told us."

The other boy nodded.

"We now also know that Gaara is like me... well, like an unstable, bloodthirsty me."

Shino exhaled. "But..."

"Keep your eyes and ears opened." a eerie voice said in that moment. "Be alert."

Kakashi wasn't surprised when his three students faced him, each one of them pointing a kunai at him.

"Just like you are doing now." the jōnin gave them a thumb up. "Things may get ugly."

The three genin nodded, without faltering. They had suspected as much.

Kakashi eye smiled, but he was stiff, serious. "I've utter confidence in you three." he murmured, winking briefly at Akimi. "And apparently so does Hokage-sama."

The girl produced a small sealing tag and activated it. She smirked. "You always ask me for privacy. I thought I may as well be prepared. It's reusable sealing tag."

Kakashi chuckled. "It will come in handy, I am sure." he replied, getting serious. "This is an high ranked, highly classified mission. Akimi, if you get to fight with Gaara... be extremely careful."

She nodded, although she already knew that herself.

"So I can't really disclose exact information to you, since you are still genin, but I am sure you'll figure it out." Kakashi shrugged. "We think that if **something** will, in fact, happen it will be during Gaara's fight."

"_They _count on him to go on a rampage." Akimi assumed. "Thus creating a distraction."

"It's likely." Kakashi said. "So, these are you orders: you need to catch Gaara's attention and draw him far from the village. Naruto, I fear this will be mostly your fight. Shino, Akimi, you are to support him and if needed take care for the other two Sand genins. An ANBU squad or Jiraiya-sama himself will come to your help as soon as we cleared the air a bit. I believe you can handle it."

Akimi raised an eyebrow. "What about the other rookies?"

Kakashi sighed. "Shikamaru-san can help you if he is up to it. I'll let you judge that, Akimi."

"So basically only if he has enough chakra after his match."

"Indeed." the jōnin sighed. "Asuma speaks well of him, so I think he can be solid help for you. Let me handle the other rookies, as they will be on the main booth for the spectators anyway."

"What about Neji and Tenten?" Naruto asked.

"Well, I suppose that depends on how they will be faring after you fight with them." Kakashi grinned, somehow smugly. "Good luck and... oh, right, I was forgetting about it. Shino..."

"Yes?"

"Just be patient."

"What?" the tall genin replied, baffled.

But Kakashi had already disappeared with his usual puff of smoke.

"That was strange even for him." Naruto chuckled. "So what do you think?"

"This is not just an exam anymore. We should heed sensei's words and be very careful." Akimi murmured. She turned to Shino. "And we should save up our chakra as well, but just in case... here." she gave him a couple of her special pills.

"Thanks. My Kikai have been restless lately... and my clan has been called out to make recon around the village more than usual. I knew something washappening, but I did not thing it would be so **big**..." Shino emotionlessly said. His two teammates could hear an hint of worry in his voice, though. "I would be more serene if I were to place a female on both of you, so I will be able to find you any moment."

"I can now access... to my _special _chakra. You know the red one." Naruto said. "If I have to, it would kill your female. I don't wish that to happen."

Akimi nodded. "And what if accidently burn it? Fortunately, I have a solution." she produced a scroll. "It's for you... think of it as a belated birthday present. Open it."

"Kai." with a puff of smoke, a green jacket appeared. "Interesting."

"There is a seal here." Akimi showed him the internal of the collar. "Which is linked to two twins seals on us. The seal is linked to our clan symbols over here... on the shoulders. If you send chakra to the golden flames, my seal will flare up in reaction. Same with the white spiral for Naruto. You will be able to feel the direction of the connection, therefore finding us. It's like a compass."

"That's impressive." Shino said. "What radius?"

Akimi smiled, pleased. "Possibly a couple of miles. Should work fine in the village and in the outskirts."

"I see." Shino shrugged. "Shall we go then? Just let me the time to change"

Akimi turned to give him privacy.

Naruto nodded, making a step forward as well. "No time to lose, dattebayo." he shouted then. "Let's show them what Team 7 is made of!"

* * *

**REVIEW ANSWERS **

**Tron Lives: **thanks for reviewing. Glad you liked the story =)

**ILOVEANIME123: **thank you very much for reviewing =) I hope you liked Kurama. He will get a little cuddlier later on as well =)

**NATSUxERZA 123456 **thank you very much for reviewing. So I hope you aren't disappointed for the lack of ass kicking in this chapter, but I assure you next chapter will be full of that. I will get back to you about your story as soon as possible. A couple of ideas just popped in my head. =)

**Guest: **well, thank you very much =) I am honestly flattered. Oh and it's AkimiXNaruto all the way in this story. I am not really including a lot of romance scene because they are still more in a friendship state (evolving towards romance) and they are still just kids. =) Thank you for reading!

**DexG23: **thank you very much for reviewing and reading! I am glad you liked the story =) =)

* * *

**CHAPTER NOTES: **

_And finally the month of training is finished! I hope I have not disappointed you with this long pause from fight/action scenes. Although perhaps the confrontation with Gaara is kind of a fighting scene. Most of the dialogue there was taken from the show, but I like to stick with canon sometimes. Like only with dialogues actually =) _

_So what did you think about Kurama? I really enjoyed writing that scene. The fox is a very interesting character. There is a lot of potential there. Staying on topic, what do you think about mindscapes? I took the concept mainly from the Harry Potter fandom and fantasy in general, but I think it does suit the Naruto verse as well. After all Naruto did fight Kyūbi in his mind to win over its chakra in canon. _

_Well, __next chapter up__ will get to the juicy ass kicking part: __Naruto vs. Neji _


	22. Chap 21 The Finals Begin

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

**Author's note: **_Thanks to everyone for reading. __**Answers to the reviews are at the bottom. **_

**CHAP 10****: **due to a mistake while I was updating the edited chapters, I posted two times chapter 11, leaving out chapter 10. I am very sorry for this, but now I fixed it. 

**POV: **In this chapter I continuously switch point of view from one character to another, especially from fighters to spectators. I hope it isn't too much to keep up with me. Tell me if it's too heavy to read or difficult to understand!

_Well now, enjoy the chapter:_

**THE FINALS BEGIN: NARUTO VS. NEJI**

**Or: "You need to get your ass kicked!"**

The Great Stadium of Konoha was jam-packed with people. The building was a massive and impressive architectonic masterpiece. The battlefield was oval shaped, with some trees around its perimeter. It was delimitated by a wall several metres high, probably to avoid the crow getting hurt. The seats were covered by traditional looking golden roofs. The audience itself was already cheering, even though not all the contestants had arrived.

Sakura sat besides Ino and Chōji. They had gotten good seats, all considered, she believed. They weren't the farthest ones, nor the closest, but they had a good visual of the arena. She was happy she had somehow made peace with Ino, although the blond girl was constantly bickering with her about Sasuke.

"I wonder where he is..." Ino said in that moment.

Sakura didn't have to ask who she was talking about. "He'll be here." she reassured. "He has trained too hard during this month to miss this."

"I didn't see him around the village, munch." Chōji commented then. "He's always been reclusive, munch, munch but never like this month. I don't think he has even gone to do grocery shopping..."

Sakura nodded. "I've seen him either. I don't think he ever left his compound." She also knew the boy was being guarded by ANBU, because of what happened in the forest she wagered, and Kurenai-sensei said not to approach him.

"I just hope he is all right." Ino whispered, covering her mouth with worry.

"I am sure he is." Sakura said, although she wasn't sure whether she was reassuring Ino or herself.

The other girl nodded.

"Team 7 isn't here either, munch, munch." Chōji observed to change the topic. "It's strange."

When the trio had arrived, only the Sand Siblings had been there. They stood on the left side, behind the proctor, who curiously was not the same of the preliminaries. Then, Neji and Tenten had arrived and they had gone to stand in line beside them – even though there was a considerable space between them. Lastly, Shikamaru had lazily strolled inside, his hands in his pockets. He took position on the right, far from the others genins.

"You are right, it's curious. Akimi is a very precise person." Sakura said. "I hope nothing is wrong."

Ino looked at her, puzzled. "Since when are you two so close?"

"We aren't really. We sparred a couple of times... and I always meet her in the library." Sakura shrugged. "We just hang out sometimes."

"She was with you at the shop when we spoke, wasn't she?" Ino asked. "I thought that was a coincidence."

"It wasn't." Sakura smiled. "She helped me out. She is nice, you know."

"As long as you don't anger her..." Chōji intervened. "She can be vicious... munch, munch, but she cooks very well."

"I always wonder how she got along so well with Naruto! He such a loud, obvious fool, while she is even a greater bookworm than you, forehead!"

"Don't underestimate Naruto." Sakura replied quietly. "I saw him fighting in the Forest of Death... he only plays fool."

"True." Chōji said. "He almost defeated Shika at shoji once, munch, munch."

"What?" Ino shouted. "Are you serious?"

Chōji nodded. "Although usually he plays against Akimi. They have a match going on that started before the Exams..."

"Look!" Sakura exclaimed. "They are here."

Ino glanced down. "I admit that they do look intimidating." she said. "I'm almost happy I didn't pass the preliminaries... it's going to be tough!"

* * *

Three shadows were approaching the ground from the long, dark tunnel of entrance. It was Team 7. The three genins walked as one, Naruto in the middle, Akimi on his right and Shino on his left. They looked... different.

Naruto had switched his blue pants with black, ANBU styles cargo pants. His left knee was covered in bandages and he had a kunai/shuriken holster on his right leg. Two orange lines run along the length of his legs, matching the brilliant orange belt he wore. He had another holster on his waist, together with a ninja pouch where he kept his sealing equipment and explosive notes. He had an extra pouch near his back. He wore a long sleeved orange muscle shirt, covered by a black leather armour, that was sleeveless and was reinforced with chainmail and had several spots for holding scrolls on the chest. On his right shoulder the usual white swirl could be spotted, alongside the golden flames on the left one. On the back he had the Konoha red swirl and the Kanji for 7 in orange. His Hitai-ate was still on his forehead, but the band of cloth was also black and longer than he used to be. A pair of black fingerless gloves with protective metal plates completed the outfit.

Akimi's attire hadn't changed as much. Her combat boots were new, yes, but they looked a lot like the older ones, although she had incorporated more places for hiding scrolls on them. Their points were also reinforced with chakra conducting metal. She had on two brand new crimson knee protectors and wore an armour similar to Naruto's, in black leather and chainmail with red markings akin to flames all along. Over it she still had her black short coat, that now spotted a golden kanji for 7. Her Hitai-ate had a crimson brand of cloth and her sleeves were only long enough to cover up to her elbows.

Shino was the one who changed the least. He simply had put on the new jacket Akimi had given to him, which he discovered was reinforced with leather on the inside. It was of the same green of his older one, with a black kanji for 7 in the middle.

The three genins had the same confident smirk on their faces, as they casually walked towards Shikamaru. They looked up at the crowd and saluted. Naruto bowed as well, his expression becoming smug as well.

"You three are so troublesome." the lazy Nara greeted them. "You were almost late."

"Almost being the operative word. This way, we still get to make an entrance without being disrespectful." Akimi smiled. "Besides, the original plan was to Sunshin in the middle of the arena, but we thought against it in the end."

"I don't know why. That would have been cool." Naruto looked around. "Where is the teme?"

"Now, I would have expected him to be the first in the field." Akimi observed. "Uchiha-san is very eager to prove himself."

"Yeah, especially if he can get the attention of all these people!" Naruto looked around. "He is a seeking attention brat."

Akimi giggled a little and Naruto chuckled with her.

Shino looked a little annoyed. "What's going to happen if he doesn't get here?"

"He probably will be disqualified." Akimi quietly said, scouting her surroundings. "He doesn't have much time left." she was looking up, to the Kage booth, where a figure was approaching an empty throne.

* * *

Hiruzen Sarutobi was seated on the special throne reserved to the Kages, in an higher and privileged position to watch the matches. A tokubetsu jōnin, Raidō, was standing beside him, serving as a messenger and bodyguard.

The Sandaime sighed. He had a bad feeling deep inside his guts. _'What is Suna's Jinchūriki doing here? What are they panning?' _Then, he heard steps.

"Ah!" he exclaimed happily. "You finally arrived... Kazekage-dono!"

The leader of Sunakagure no Sato slowly walked toward the elder Kage, flanked by two serious looking Sand jōnins. His robes were white and green and he had the kanji for wind on his hat. A veil covered his face, revealing only his eyes.

"I hope you are not tired from the long trip." Sarutobi said.

"Not at all." the other replied. "I'm happy this stage is in Konoha, although you are still young, visiting another village might have been a little too much for you, Hokage-sama."

'_His voice sounds strange. A little too much complacent... mah, maybe my age is really doing a number on me! Or maybe...' _

"Maybe you should choose a Godaime soon."

"Mmm?" Sarutobi replied, before breaking in a heartfelt laughter. "Don't treat me like an old man, now, I'm still considering doing this for another five years..." he slowly got up, getting closer to the railing. He turned to nod again at the Kazekage. "Let's begin, then."

The other man nodded as well.

"Mina-sama!" Sarutobi said, his voice echoing in the Arena. "Thank you for coming to the Konohagakure Chūnin Exam Selection today. We will now begin the matches between the ten genin that have passed the preliminaries. I hope you'll all have a good time."

"If they are supposed to be ten, it seems one is missing" the Kazekage softly observed.

Sarutobi looked pensive. "Mmm... I'm sure he'll get here in no time." he replied, crossing his arms.

* * *

"My name is Genma Shiranui." the proctor said. "Although the landscape has changed, the same rules apply as the preliminaries: there are no rules. The match will only end when someone dies or give up. But if I decide the match is over I will stop it. Do **not **argue with me over it. Got it?"

'_I wonder what happen to Gekkō-san_...' Akimi thought, looking at the tokubetsu jōnin with intensity. His dark brown hair was covered by a green bandana. He wore the standard uniform of Konoha and was holding a senbon between his teeth. He seemed a very collected person. _'This is another bad omen.' _

"The first match will be between Uzumaki Naruto..." he bellowed, so to be heard in all the stadium. "...and Neji Hyūga. The rest of you need to go back to the waiting room."

The others genins nodded and slowly walked away. Akimi winked at Naruto. "Be safe." she whispered. The blonde nodded.

Once the arena was free, Naruto and Neji turned so they were facing each other.

"You look like you want to say something." the older genin said.

"Yes." Naruto nonchalantly shifted on his legs. He smirked. "You need to get your ass kicked."

'_His eyes show me he is utterly confident...' _Neji noted. "That's even better... I'll enjoy the look in your eyes when you'll realise you can't beat fate. A dobe will always be a dobe." and he dropped in the Jūken stance. "Only certain people are fated to be Hokage, dobe. And you are not one of them."

"This is useless. I want action." Naruto shifted again, so his position was more stable.

Genma complied immediately. "Now, the first match..." he shouted. "...**begins!**" and he jumped back.

The crowd cheered.

Naruto looked sharply at Neji. _'Close combat is very stupid with this kind of opponent.' _he thought. _'So what to do? Mmm... As 'mi-chan always says, when in doubt use shurikens!' _ He jumped back and swiftly launched a dozens of shurikens at Neji.

The other genin simply deflected them with his kunai a bored look on his face. "You should give up."

"I always thought it was funny..." Naruto said, shrugging . "... how much people look at the results in Academy. They seem to define anything you later do, don't they? But after all is required in that exam is to be passable in taijutsu and able to make three basic techniques, isn't it?"

As he spoke four Narutos popped into existence. "By the way, you should know I don't give up." he smirked. "Ever."

"That was **Kage Bunshin!**" a random Konoha shinobi shouted. "That's jōnin level technique. Maybe Uzumaki stands a chance!"

'_I see.' _Neji thought. _'Chakra is distributed evenly among the clones, so even I can't say which one is the original... not bad.' _

Kiba, who had joined Ino, Sakura and Chōji just at the match was about to start, smirked. "They shouldn't underestimate Naruto. They are in for a big surprise."

"I expected him to run head on to Neji!" Ino shouted. "Instead he is actually being smart... sort of."

The four clones ran towards Neji, dividing in group of twos to attack in tandem. The first one tried to punch his foes right in the gut, but Neji simply jumped, twisting gracefully in the air with the intention of hitting the Naruto behind him, which somehow managed to dodge the blow.

As Neji landed, another Naruto swept a kick at him, as the first one tried to elbow the genin in his blind spot... which wasn't blind. Neji quickly ducked and turned to stab the first Naruto in the middle of the chest, dispelling him. The fourth, who had observed anything, engaged him in a quick battle of fists, but Neji had no problems parrying each one of them. He then jumped back to avoid the punch of one Naruto and using the force of the movement tried to hit another. The three clones tried their best to hit him, but didn't manage and eventually were dispelled because Neji shut off their tenketsu.

'_Impressive' _thought the Third Hokage. _'He used Kage Bunshin without seals while he was speaking and he has obviously used them to test his opponent.' _

"It's useless." Tenten said, from her spot in the combatants booth. She was between the Sand Nins and the rookies, to be more specif. "Your teammate is going to lose."

Shino didn't even consider her, while Akimi just smiled. "Did you just say something, Tenten-san?" she asked. "Did she say something, Shino?"

"Nothing important." the bug user replied, he was on her left, while Shikamaru was leaning on the railing on her right. "What do you think he will do?"

Akimi shrugged. "Do you really want me to spoil it for you?" _'So it looks like the fabled Byakugan is really amazing... 360° vision. No blind spots. But seeing an attack is only the first step to stop it, isn't it?' _

The original Naruto had crossed his arms, an hardened look on his face. "You are very strong." he conceded. "But your attitude really needs improvement." this time he did cross his fingers. "**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" **

Twelve Narutos surrounded him. _'So, the most logical thing would be stay back while my clones attack, but Neji will eventually try to reach me. He is a taijutsu expert, after all...' _"Let's go, boys!"

They all charged head on.

"He is wasting chakra." Tenten said. "It's useless."

"Mah, Naruto has more chakra than all of us combined... and then some more." Akimi smiled again. "It is more likely you are wasting breath, Tenten-san. Say what you want, my faith in my teammate will not falter."

Shino nodded with her. "Naruto is the strongest genin here." he simply said.

In that precise moment the Narutos had reached Neji... and they duplicated again, all sheathing their tantō in one swept.

Akimi nodded to herself. _'That makes 26 against 1. Naruto is using the confusion to distract him.' _

The clones attacked their foes with much more fury this time. They were black and orange blur of movements. Even Neji looked a little taken aback. By using a weapon, the clones could parry without having their tenketsu closed.

'_If he hadn't that eyes of his he wouldn't be able to keep up. And 'to-kun isn't using wind yet.' _ Akimi noticed that one was attacking less than others. _'Ah, that's it...' _

"I can see you!" Neji destroyed two clones that had closed on him with a decisive stab of his hands, before starting to run towards that particular clone, dodging the other clones that were trying to stop him. "You think you are smart, don't you?" he taunted. "You have attacked less than the others, because you are afraid of being killed! This is the real one!" and he jabbed him in the heart.

"It's over." Tenten said. "But your teammate has put up a good fight."

Akimi shrugged, watching as Naruto grabbed his stomach in pain, spitting blood and stumbling. The clones started dispelling.

"You don't care?"

"Not particularly." she evenly replied, even as Naruto himself started chuckling.

"You think you can see everything, don't you?" the blonde mocked.

'_He was thinking a step ahead of me.' _Neji looked flabbergasted as the Naruto in front of him popped away, he turned just in time to see other three Narutos leaping on him. One aimed to his stomach, the other to his head, the third on his 'blind spot'... and the first one seemed to hit true.

Operative word seemed. Akimi frowned as Neji flared up with chakra, before starting to spinning around at a very high speed.

"Kaiten..." Hiashi Hyūga incredulously said from his seat. "That's amazing!"

As the rotations increased, Neji was surrounded by a bright blue dome, that promptly fend off the three Narutos, sending them flying back. Two dispelled after clashing on the ground, while the other simply manoeuvred in the air to land on his feet.

"This is an absolute defence even better than Gaara's." Tenten said. "There is no way Naruto is going to win."

"If you say so, Tenten-san." Akimi absently said, staring at Neji, who was now standing in the centre of a circular hole in the ground.

"You can't hit me." Neji said, as a matter of a fact. "Your fate was decided when I was chosen as your opponent. You are going to lose."

"Really? I could care less of what you think, Neji-chan!" Naruto replied. "I've already hit you."

Neji looked shocked, looking down to his right shoulder, where a small slash could be seen. The adrenaline and chakra running in his body had prevented him to feel the pain, before Naruto made him notice. The wound was small, a simply nuisance, but it was there still... "How...?"

"Do you expect him to explain my tricks to you?" Naruto shook his head. "Think again."

Tenten looked amazed as well.

"It doesn't matter if Hyūga-san has a 360° degree vision." Akimi said then. "His brain can only keep up with so much information: when he decided to use that spinning defence of his, he was too concentrated to see Naruto's true attack. An invisible one..."

"Wind." Temari said, from her distanced spot, obviously remembering the match in the preliminaries. "Chakra flow."

"It comes in handy, doesn't it?" Akimi nodded.

"This does not matter..." Neji regained his bearings. "You took me by surprise, but you are..."

"... tired of your chitchat." Naruto said. "If you keep it up you'll bore me to death!" Seven clones appeared around him. "You know what to do."

They all jumped in the hair, and the clones had their hands closed in the bird seal. "**Fūton: Daitoppa!**" they shouted.

One Naruto hadn't called upon wind. He had been going on a complicate and long series of signs. He finished with a strange hand seal, which looked like the dog one, but with his left hand facing up. The Hokage gaped, recognising it, and the Kazekage looked surprised as well.

Temari whistled. "Damn he is good."

"You haven't seen anything yet." Akimi replied, her eyes shining. _'You bring out the big guns already, uh?' _

"**Suiton: Suiryūdan no Jutsu!" **

Neji's eyes widened comically as the colossal dragon of water raised up, his yellow eyes glowing in the arena, before descending on him.

"**Kaiten!**" the Hyūga shouted, just as the wind and water mixed together, creating a raging storm.

Genma was forced to jump out of the way and Naruto himself had his clones throw him aside, before they all dispelled after being hit by the deflected attacked. The rotating dome shield fended off the storm until it calmed down, but there was so much water that Neji became drenched to the bone anyway.

"How was he able to use water? There is no source around!" Temari exclaimed.

"So you completed the seal, Akimi" Shino blankly said. "I expected at much."

Tenten looked at girl with awe. "You made a seal that allows him to use water everywhere?"

Akimi shrugged. "No. There are limitations." she explained. "The source is Konoha's river. I doubt he could use it out of Hi no Kuni, even with his massive reserves."

Neji looked mildly impressed. "Why do you fight fate so much?"

"Because I don't stand arrogant shits like you, who mock hard work and dedication." Naruto smirked, landing a couple of metres far from him. "You are a little whining fate's bitch. Why are you so bended in believing in predetermined destiny?"

Neji growled, taking off his Hitai-ate. A green seal was on his forehead. It was an X flanked by two horizontal lines that finished in small hooks. "Do you see this? This is the mark of fate." he explained. "They Hyūga are divided in two..."

"The Main Family and Branch Family." Naruto interrupted him. "Right?"

Neji looked surprised.

"I know how to read." the blonde deadpanned. "I looked it up during this month."

"This seal allows the Main Family to fry our brain cells either to give us unbearable pain or to kill us. Only with death we, members of the branch house, will be free... and the secrets of the Byakugan will vanish with our lives" Neji took a deep breath. "My father was the twin of Hiashi-sama, our clan head. They had the same appearance, even the same abilities... but my father was born a second after and so was doomed to receive this, as I was."

"He died." Naruto softly said. "How?"

"Few years ago Konoha signed a treaty with Kumokagure." Neji started. "The delegate and ambassador of the Cloud exploited that occasion to try and kidnap Hinata-sama, the young heiress. He was stopped and killed... but Kumo demanded the body of Hiashi-sama in compensation. If not, a war would have been started."

"So they sent your father's instead?" Naruto asked. "Because his seal would prevent the secrets of the Byakugan to be revealed?"

Neji sharply nodded. "It's the Hyūga's fate of hatred. We are destined to die protecting a family that hates and lords over us. I am a caged bird." he stated, tying his forehead protector again. "Fate assured so. Nothing can change it. Likewise, you are doomed to lose to me: it was decided the moment I was declared your opponent."

"I'm sorry for what happened to your Tou-san." Naruto bowed. "But you shouldn't believe that one incident or one thing is enough to define all we are. You shouldn't give up, Neji."

"You are in the field of my divination." Neji simply said, smirking. He dropped down in a strange stance with his arms behind himself. "**Hakke Rokujūyon Shō!"**

Naruto calmly watched him coming.

"There is no genin that can be Neji." Tenten said. Naruto had put out an incredible fight, but not good enough... "It's over."

"So it is." Akimi agreed. "So it is."

Naruto tried to jump out of the way, landing behind Neji. The Hyūga was unfazed, simply turning before closing on him.

"Two!" Neji shouted, hitting Naruto two times in the guts. His movements doubled in speed. "Four." another barrage of hits were delivered. "Eight!" Naruto could only stand there like a ragdoll, his attempts to defend useless. "Sixteen!" the blonde was launched back of a meter. "Thirty-two!"

Naruto crashed down, spitting blood.

"Sixty four. It's over." Neji declared, mirroring his teammate. "You can call the match, examiner."

Genma was about to, when a voice shouted: "Activate!"

As the clone on the ground puffed away, the true Naruto shot out from under the ground, few meters behind Neji. "Sorry, but are in the range of my Jolting Seal." he said, mockingly.

The Hyūga screamed in surprise and pain as an electrical jolt bolted through his body, magnified by the water that still soaked him. It was enough to paralyse him for several second, all his nerves going numb. And few seconds were all Naruto needed.

With an amazing speed, the blonde leaped towards Neji. "I don't know much about the Hyūga's fate of hatred! You think it's impossible to change it? Then don't do anything...!" he shouted, before punching him in guts with all his might. And Naruto was stronger than he let on. "But when I'm Hokage, I'll change the Hyūga for you, Neji!"

The genin was sent flying to the other side of the arena, crashing a dozen of meters ahead. Naruto leaped after him, going faster than he had in the rest of the match. He sheathed his tantō and landed on top of Neji, pointing it at his throat.

"When I was at the Academy..." Naruto said slowly. "... I failed two times because I couldn't do one technique. I slowly started to hate it."

Neji looked at him, still shocked.

"It was the Bunshin no Jutsu." Naruto smiled, bitterly. "Stop complaining about fate and saying it can't be changed! Fight it!"

'_He planned everything from the start. Amazing... he isn't even hurt a little.' _Genma smiled a little, raising his left arm. "Winner: Uzumaki Naruto!"

* * *

Uzumaki Naruto, the loudmouth dead-last of the Academy, the very same one most of the village thought was a joke of a ninja, had soundly beaten Hyūga Neji, the genial prodigy of Konoha's mightiest clan. Actually, better said, Naruto had thoroughly kicked Neji's ass without even breaking a sweat.

The crowd was cheering loudly, impressed by the short but spectacular match. Naruto was running around, shouting in joy and throwing his fist in the air, just as two medics arrived to take Neji away.

In the combatant booths, Tenten was speechless. She gaped a lot, before managing to say something. "How...? Impossible!" she stuttered. "When did he made the clone?"

"During the storm he created." Akimi answered. "Between the water, the wind and the concentration Neji needed to perform the Kaiten, Naruto was able to create a clone and hid him in the ground, escaping the detection of 'the all seeing eyes.' Then, when he jumped behind Neji before being it by that 64 four attacks, he used Kawarimi to substitute with the clone, while he actually lured Neji in the place where he had placed the seal."

"The clone who pretended to be him the first time." Shikamaru spoke. "He was really placing the seal on the ground, was he?"

"Yes, he simply let the tag fell." Akimi explained. "You see, certain seals need to be placed directly on an opponent to be effective, such as the Fudou no Fūin we used yesterday. It would have been impossible to actually use such as seal on an Hyūga."

Shikamaru nodded in understanding.

"But the Jolting Seal is effective in a small area, depending on how the seal is drawn, and once activated hits anyone who moves in said area. It was difficult to extend the area of effect beyond the actual size of the seal, but I connected it to a perimeter seal and..."

"Stop, it is troublesome, I'm not so good with seals to understand the inner mechanism of it." Shikamaru interrupted.

"Yeah, sorry, anyway the only drawback of this method is the excessive chakra cost, which is why Naruto used the Jolting Seal, that is very low cost, instead of a immobilising one."

"So this is why he used the water dragon." Shikamaru concluded. "Not only he created a distraction, but he also soaked Neji, magnifying the power of the jolting and actually paralysing Neji."

"I can't... wow." Tenten said. "Neji lost." she repeated, as if she couldn't grasp the concept.

Akimi smiled at her. "He is very skilled." she said. "But Naruto is a mean opponent to have, you know. He just... doesn't give up."

Tenten looked at her. _'Will she be as mean as him when we fight? I really need to be careful...' _

"'to-kun!" Akimi exclaimed happily, as the blonde appeared in the threshold. "Over here."

Naruto immediately reached her. "Congratulations!" she hugged him tightly. "Amazing match."

He chuckled, holding her. "Thank you. I couldn't have done it without your seals."

"Both of them where your ideas. I simply created them." she smiled brightly at him. "I'm so proud of you!"

He released her, smiling, back before setting near Shikamaru and leaning over the railing as well. He looked around. "Sasuke isn't here yet?"

* * *

"An impressive strategy." the Kazekage commented. "The blonde one has talent."

"He is definitely chūnin material, is he not?" the Hokage replied, smiling with pride. "Kakashi Hatake did wonders with his team."

"The crowd is getting noisy." The other man observed. "They are all waiting for the next match... especially the Head Ninjas and the Daimyōs"

Sarutobi raised an eyebrow. "Mmm."

"Is the one who missed the opening ceremony arrived yet?" asked the Kazekage.

In that moment the Hokage's bodyguard bent down to whisper in his ear. "Sasuke isn't here yet... and with the Orochimaru thing going on maybe it's better to just disqualify him. It's causing an uproar, Hokage-same."

Sarutobi sighed. '_Let's see what happens, then...' _"I have no choice." he gravely said. "Sasuke is disqualified."

"Uchiha Sasuke, disqualified?" the Kazekage replied, as if disbelieving.

The old Hokage sighed, hiding a smirk. "I must."

* * *

"It's not like the teme to be like this." Naruto observed. "He really wouldn't miss a chance to prove his strength..."

"Mmm." Akimi said. _'There is more to this delay that meet the eyes.'_

Shino looked stiffer than usual. He had prepared long and hard for the match against the Uchiha and didn't want to win by default. It would have been insulting for him.

"Consider what Kakashi-sensei told us." Akimi suddenly murmured, looking around with narrowed eyes. "And remember the Second Exam." _'We know Orochimaru is behind whatever it is going to happen... it's logical ANBU is trying to protect Sasuke after what happened in the forest.' _

Naruto and Shino looked pensive and then nodded.

"Perhaps you are right." Shino whispered. "But still..."

Akimi was subtly looking at the Sand genins: Gaara gritted his teeth and his two siblings looked very nervous. _'Kaera, get near them.' _the girl ordered and the tiger leaped in position in a few seconds.

"What are we going to do?" Kankurō said then, fidgeting. "If he doesn't come, our plan cannot begin..."

"Is this bad?" asked Temari.

Gaara turned and silenced them with his gaze. The other two jumped in fear.

Akimi bit his lips. _'So something is really going on with them.' _she considered. _'Is Suna really going to backstab us?' _and she shot a worried glance to the Kage booth.

* * *

"Hokage-dono." the Kazekage suddenly started. "Can you hold on a little before disqualifying Sasuke?"

Sarutobi looked surprised.

"Excuse me." the bodyguard said. "But those who think lightly of their time as a ninja don't deserve to be chūnin, even if they are _'elite'_. If there is no good reason, we shouldn't let the Daimyōs wait."

"Then there is a good reason. I can say that all the Daimyō and I have come to see him fight. He is the survivor of the Uchiha after all. Kaze no Kuni wishes to see if he will get to the second round, maybe to fight our Gaara eventually."

Sarutobi nodded. _'Interesting... very interesting.' _"Very well, we shall wait for him." he said, signalling his guard to contact ANBU. "Look for Sasuke and put this match on hold."

"Are you sure, Hokage-sama?"

"Tell the examiner." the Hokage curly ordered and the bodyguard swiftly Sunshined away. "It was curious you said that, Kazekage-dono."

"It may be a chance for us, to show our qualities against an high level opponent such as Uchiha Sasuke."

'_Is that so... __**Kazekage?**__' _Sarutobi nodded. "I see."

* * *

Genma nodded at his colleague, watching him disappear again with a puff of smoke. "Mina-sama." he shouted. "A examinee for the next match hasn't come yet, so we will put it on hold for the time being. We shall now go on to the next match."

This caused some uproar in the crowd nevertheless.

"Damn, does this mean my match is coming up faster?" Shikamaru said. "Troublesome."

"Kankurō and Sabaku no Gaara." Genma exclaimed. "You are up next. Come down."

"Examiner." said Kankurō, somehow predictably. "I forfeit."

"I was wondering whether he would do this or not..." Naruto said. "His puppet was destroyed and possibly Gaara knew its secrets anyway. It was a battle lost at the start."

"Or he is simply too afraid to fight his own brother." Shikamaru replied. "Which is troublesome."

"Perhaps it is so." Akimi sighed. "Or perhaps there are other reasons."

Shino raised an eyebrow behind his sunglasses. "What do you mean?"

"Kankurō has given up." the examiner said in that moment, frowning. "Sabaku no Gaara wins by default."

The crowd protested soundly.

"We need to talk." Akimi muttered darkly. Only Shino and Naruto heard her – and maybe Shikamaru, she wasn't sure – and she smiled forcefully. "After my match."

Naruto nodded. "I'll take care of things."

Akimi made her hands crack. "Looks like we need to give them something to be excited about." she exclaimed, crossing her right hand in half tiger seal. "Wish me luck."

"Kick ass." Naruto simply said.

Shino nodded at her as she vanished with a small puff to reappear at the side of Genma with high, swirling bursts of flames. She made the Sunshin as theatrical as possible and received a loud cheer in response.

Tenten looked a little worried, but then she got a look of the determination in her eyes. _'I've got to win this... or Gai-sensei will never let it go!' _

"And you are...?" Genma lazily asked.

"I think my turn is up now, Shiranui-san." Akimi bowed. "And I didn't want to upset our honourable audience more by wasting time." she smiled innocently.

Genma raised an eyebrow. _'So you showed off?' _"All right, the other one, get down here."

Tenten promptly jumped down, doing some acrobatic moves in the hair. She landed right in front of Akimi.

"Next match: Katora Akimi and Tenten!" he shouted.

* * *

**JUTSU LIST **

**Jūken **[Gentle fist]: this deadly Taijutsu style is unique to the Hyūga clan of Konoha. Thanks to the ability to see the internal chakra system their kekkai genkai, the Byakugan, grants them, any Hyūga can inflict internal damage to their opponent through their tenketsu

**Kaiten **[Eight Trigrams Palms Revolving Heaven]: the user releases an high amount of chakra from all their body, rotating to create a dome of chakra that repels ninjutsu attacks towards them. The rotation is essential to the effectiveness of the technique

**Hakke Rokujūyon Shō **[Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms]**: **the user imagines an Eight Trigrams circle, any enemy inside of its range can be hit with a series of violent Jūken blows. The techniques closes off 64 of the enemy's tenketsu, interrupting their chakra flow and making them unable to even stand.

* * *

**REVIEW'S ANSWERS **

**iitrnr: **_thank you for reviewing. About that chapter being sentimental, well as much as story is an AU I didn't want to make a dark! Naruto fic, so... sentimental it is =). By the way, I messed up things with updating edited chapters so there were two chap 11. I'm just saying it in case you want to go and read the true chap 10. I am glad you enjoyed the story and hope you liked this chapter as well! =)_

**Skeleus: **_thanks for reviewing. Here is the new chapter, hope you liked it. =) _

**vaskeemi: **_thank you for reviewing. Hope you liked this chapter as well!_

**DexG23: **_thank you very much for reviewing. I'm glad you enjoyed Naruto's chat with Kurama. I hope you like the fight between Naruto and Neji as well =)_

**Unmei Ryu: **_thank you so much for reviewing! It's nice to hear from you again. I am very glad you enjoyed the two chapters and particularly the scene with Kurama. I had so fun writing it! With a smarter Naruto negotiating with Kyūbi instead of demanding there is so much potential. =) Hope you liked this chapter as well._

* * *

**CHAPTER NOTES **

_So what did you think of the match? Was the fight nice and believable? I hope it wasn't much of a overkill, considering Naruto is basically unscratched, but then again he is a lot smarter than canon in this story. _

_I am going to ask you again about __the constant switches in point of view__ during the fighting scenes... were they all right? It's important you tell me so I can change it if necessary for next chapters... and maybe edit this one as well. _

_Second thing, what did you think of the new outfits of Team 7? I'm always open to suggestions about his things! _

_Lastly, the poll about Shino's element is still opened and I've got __parity between earth and lighting__. So, since he won't start training until the invasion arc is finished, you still __have time to vote. __If not I will be the one to decide =) (although I am fairly happy with both of them) _

_Right, this is all. Next chapter is already ready, but I'll wait to post it because I'm struck waiting a certain future fight and I want to buy time. _

Next up: Akimi's and Tenten's fight!


	23. Chap 22 The Finals Continue

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

**Author's note: **_Thanks to everyone for reading! __**Answers to the reviews are at the bottom. **_

_I hope you enjoy the chapter, so here it is: _

**THE FINALS CONTINUE: AKIMI vs. TENTEN**

**Or: "May the best kunoichi win"**

"Next match: Katora Akimi and Tenten!" Genma shouted, while the crowd was still cheering happily at the prospective of a new match, after the two disappointments they just had had.

"This is going to be good." Kiba said, rubbing his hands together. "It'll taught that Tenten what we rookie nine are really made of!"

"You mean what Team 7 is made of." Sakura said. "What's your issue with Tenten, anyway?'

"She is too arrogant." Kiba said. "She despises rookies. Isn't this enough?"

"Arrogant?' Sakura exclaimed to the Inuzuka, who was himself very confident and loved to brag about his abilities. "Look who is talking!"

"I think Kiba is right." Ino interrupted them.

"But that is only because Tenten totally owned your ass." Kiba replied, derisively.

"Come on, the only one of us who put a good fight up was Chōji." Ino said. "So I don't think you can speak, dog boy, especially considering the way Temari _defeated _you. Did it hurt?"

"Oh, come on, guys! We shouldn't be fighting." Sakura shrugged. "Besides, as long as you survive, and learn from your mistakes, then no battle will be truly lost."

"And when did you get so, munch, munch, wise, Sakura?" Chōji asked.

"Akimi told me her grandfather always said it to her after their spars."

"Hosh, mina-san!" an enthusiastic voice cried out, interrupting their small bickering.

They all turned. "Lee-san!" Sakura greeted with a warm small.

The genin, clad in his hospital clothes, was there, in front of a smirking Guy.

"Did I miss out much?" he asked, limping towards them with the help of his clutches.

The genins quickly made some room for him.

"No, Naruto and Neji fought, then they delayed Sasuke's match because he is late. Kankurō has given up, so Akimi and Tenten are up next." Ino explained.

"Yosh!" Lee exclaimed. "I hope your friend Naruto-kun isn't hurt too much."

Kiba frowned. "What do you mean? He is unscratched!"

Lee looked surprised. "Nani? Did he give up?"

"No, he simply kicked Neji's ass!" Kiba shouted. "He was amazing!"

"What? He beat Neji?"

Gai frowned. _'Ah, how impressive! You trained him well, my rival. And Neji definitely needed to be defeated once. It may be good for his attitude.' _He looked down at the arena. _'I hope Tenten does well in this match.' _

Sakura smiled gently at him. "He did."

Lee was very shocked. _'He did what I could not... why does everyone surpass me?' _"Naruto-kun is very youthful. I hope he will agree to spar with me sooner later." he smiled, a little forcefully. "What matters is that I am in time to see Tenten's youthful match! GO TENTEN!"

* * *

"I won't make the same mistake Neji did." Tenten seriously said. "I'm not underestimating you."

Akimi smiled. "Are you? Good." she replied. "It's always an honour to fight a kunoichi who does live up to the name!"

"You hate fan girls too?"

"With all my being." Akimi smirked. "It looks like the crowd is thirsty for some action... let's give them what they want, uh? No hard feelings."

"May the best kunoichi win!"

Genma listened to the conversation with a serene smile. _'Ah, this is refreshing after the animosity of last match.' _"Very well... **begin!**"

Immediately Tenten jumped back, dropping into a semi defensive stance and staring intently at her foe. Akimi tilted her head, smiled again, then assumed the semi crouched stance of her style as well, returning Tenten's gaze as well.

From his position, Sarutobi was impressed. _'Tenten's distance with the enemy is amazing... not too far, not too close. She can both deal with offence, or defence. But then again, Akimi has always a way to surprise you, doesn't she?' _

In fact, Tenten was intently studying Akimi's face, watching out for any movements and wondering how the younger and less experienced girl would attack. Or how she was going to attack. Tenten saw her opponent slowly moving her left hand towards her belt. She had almost missed it.

Akimi was relaxed. _'I need to show the judges I have got the skills to be a chūnin. I also must save my chakra. So no fancy moves.' _She considered. _'She is waiting for me to act, since she doesn't know basically anything about my fighting style. But I __**do**__ know the she is a weapon specialist. I can sense a lot of storage scrolls on her. She isn't going to run out of ammo. My best shot is to engage her at close combat, seeing how good she is. I can easily create a distraction with ninjutsu and escape if she is too strong to handle. And one, two, three...' _

Akimi moved suddenly, throwing a dozen of shurikens at Tenten with her left hand. She didn't wait for the other girl to parry – she knew Tenten **was **going to parry – and immediately leaped forwards, boosting her momentum with chakra. She was midway when she activated one of the special seals she had on her right glove and took out her folded Fūma Shuriken.

Tenten, as predicted, easily deflected the projectiles coming her way with a kunai, just in time to see Akimi's charge. She sidestepped, hoping the other girl would not be able to change the direction of her charge... to no avail, because Akimi gracefully turned and aimed a stab to her left shoulder. Fortunately Tenten managed to unseal a melee weapon as well, more precisely a short sword, and used it to block the attack.

'_She is definitely quicker than me.' _Akimi thought, as the two were locked in a standoff. _'But I think I'm a little stronger...' _suddenly, she pushed vehemently, forcing Tenten to twist her arm, before jumping away to avoid any injuries. Akimi turned on her heel, crouching, then bounced again towards the other girl.

'_She almost looks like a tiger...' _Tenten considered, parrying the violent slash Akimi delivered. _'Short and powerful blows.' _She tried to counterattack with a direct stab to her foe's upper body, but Akimi parried with her left hand, using a kunai. At the same time, she attempted another slash with her claw-like weapon. Tenten jumped out of the way, but Akimi launched the kunai, before disappearing with a quick Sunshin to reappear behind her. Tenten was forced to deflect the kunai with her blade, instead of put more distance between them as she wanted to, before turning to block Akimi's Fūma shuriken which was slicing perilously near where her head had been.

The two kunoichi started a furious exchange of blows after that: as one attacked, the other parried with perfect timing. It was like they had previously agreed on the moves to make.

Naruto was watching the display with a small smirk. "She is good." he said. "Akimi can't overpower her this way."

Shikamaru nodded. "She is only testing Tenten... and showing off." he agreed. "Isn't she a ninjutsu type anyway?"

"Oh, you'll see."

In that moment, Tenten ducked to escape the umpteenth vicious slash Akimi sent her way, deciding she had enough. _'I must distance her if I want a shot. We are basically equals in close combat, if I keep this up I'll only tire out in vain! Luckily I think I'm a little faster than her...' _And with that thought, she moved as fast as she could, distracting Akimi with a dozen of shurikens. She disappeared with a blur of movement,

Akimi stopped her previous charge, dropping on her basic stance and swapping away the projectiles like they were annoying flies. She sharpened her senses to find her opponent. _'Behind you, trees' _Kaera whispered in her mind,being bounded to a sensor did come in handy. She didn't turn, not wanting Tenten to know she had discovered her. _'If I were to wager, she is right now measuring the distance that separates us... then she'll attack big time.' _ She smirked, toying with her Fūma Shuriken and carefully unlatching the secure that made it stay folded.

"Yosh! Akimi-san is very youthful as well." Lee shouted. "Tenten has found a good rival!"

"What is she doing?" Ino asked instead, puzzled, although she was amazed by Akimi's performance. "Why doesn't she look for Tenten?"

"What doesn't she move for that matter? Tenten is amazing with throwing weapons!" Kiba exclaimed.

"I think she is looking right now." Sakura answered. "She is a sensor... has any of you seen where Tenten went anyway?"

The other genins shook their heads, save Lee, who nodded. "She is..."

"... in the trees." Shino curly said. "Akimi knows."

Naruto nodded. "This time, she'll let Tenten do the first move." he simply stated. "And every second that passes she recovers a little."

Tenten was pressed against the bark of the highest tree, catching her breath. She carefully peeked in the arena. _'She is completely still... she is waiting for my move, but if I stale too much she'll look for me. Not that I'm letting that happen... being stationary isn't a good idea when you are up against me. Is she so confident?' _and she started a small series of handseals.

Akimi saw five Tenten jump down from the three, quickly running so to surround her. It was easy for her to spot the true one, right in front of her. One would expect the original to stay hidden, maybe behind... it was a smart tactic, one that Naruto used a lot. Which is why Akimi wasn't surprised in the least. That and the fact she was a fairly good sensor. Her grip tightened around her Fūma shuriken.

Tenten hoped her Bunshins would confuse Akimi, but her opponent's focused expression didn't falter. _'I just hope she doesn't get too hurt from this.' _she thought, slowly taking a scroll from the punch behind her back. The clones mirrored her movements.

Akimi shifted a little, obviously to adjust in a more stable position.

Tenten placed a scroll on the ground and jumped in the air. She started to spin, as the long scroll unfolded, enveloping around her in a spiral like shape. Eventually, she was spinning so fast she really looked like a blurred spindle.

Akimi knew enough about Fūinjutsu to immediately recognise a storage scroll. She was only able to make out few of items there – sword, mace, Fūma shuriken, few kunai – it was obvious that Tenten was about to unleash a barrage of weapons towards her. _'Very dramatic, but it leaves the opponent plenty of time to react. Not to mention, her visibility is probably limited a lot.' _With a lazy but powerful flick of her wrist, Akimi sent her Fūma Shuriken flying towards the place she believed the true Tenten to land, before going through a long series of handseals. One thing she was proud of, was how quickly she was with handseals.

As the first kunai made her way towards her, Akimi's hands had closed in the snake seal. She smirked. "**Doton!" **she shouted, watching the hissing projectiles coming her way. "**Doryū Engo no jutsu!**"

Tenten watched with a little defeated look as a shield of earth, high enough just to cover Akimi completely, appeared in front of the girl. All the weapons either embedded into the solidified mud or scattered around it, leaving Akimi unscratched.

"Oh, that's not good..." Tenten murmured, just as she heard an hissing sound coming from her right. With the corner of her eye she saw the rotating Fūma Shuriken coming her way and quickly jumped to avoid it, watching in amazement as if flew back to Akimi's open hand.

The younger genin was obviously using strings to control the weapon's movements and with impressive skills as well. Tenten noticed she had jumped on top of the small earth wall.

Akimi simply closed her shuriken and hung it to her belt. "That was a remarkable display, Tenten-san." she said with a strong and uneven voice. "Now it's my turn."

Before Tenten could reply, Akimi threw half a dozen shurikens towards her, before doing once again a long series of handseals. "**Shuriken Kage Bunshin no jutsu!**"

"Oh, crap!" Tenten shouted as the projectiles in front of her duplicated in a hissing barrage coming from all directions. _'Even if her accuracy is subpar compared to mine, she makes it up with numbers...' _There was only one way to escape the technique. Up.

But that was exactly what Akimi wanted. Her hand closed in the tiger seal. "**Goukakyuu.**" she whispered and sent a massive fireball against the raising form of Tenten.

Tenten's eyes widened in fear and surprise, before her training kicked in and she regained her bearings. _'Thank the kami sensei told me to work on some kind of defence!' _"**Kai!**" she swiftly grabbed the iron, round shield she summoned and hid behind it.

The fire clashed with the metal, the heat so strong she could actually feel it. _'Damn it, that's vicious!'_ Tenten eventually had to let the object go because it was too hot, the metal melted. Fortunately the fireball had dispersed by then. Tenten landed on the ground with a pant, looking around: Akimi was nowhere to be seen. _'This isn't good at all.' _She thought, looking around.

She hadn't the time to regain her bearings, though.

"**Doton: Shinjū Zanshu no Jutsu!" **Akimi's hand shot out from the ground, grabbing Tenten's ankle. Tenten was used to high speed and sudden attacks – if you consider who her teammates were it's not so surprising – so she reacted in a split second, jumping upwards to pull an opposite force to Akimi's grasp. Her foe was stubborn, though, and stronger than her.

Tenten kept her cool and threw a shuriken at Akimi's hand. Her aim true, she successfully wounded the younger girl. Akimi's grasp lessened ever so slightly and it was enough for Tenten to run free. With a sigh, Akimi retreated her hand, just before she jumped out from the ground to face her opponent once again. One difference was easily visible, nevertheless: she was panting.

Tenten forced herself not to smile. _'She is tired. I bet she was sure she could entrap me with her last jutsu and end this! But she didn't. And one thing I learned, a tired opponent is a sloppy one. I can finish this.' _She was going to exploit that moment and immediately started to throw kunai and shurikens at Akimi.

Akimi ducked at the last good second, before leaping toward Tenten. She was obviously looking for a taijutsu match. Tenten didn't. The two kunoichi started a game of chase with each other, the older girl trying to distance Akimi to use her weapon proficiency against her. To the many experienced eyes in the audience it was clear that the battle had turned... apparently in favour of Tenten, because Akimi's movement were obviously slower and seemingly weaker as well.

Only few weren't thinking among those lines. One was the Sandaime Hokage who knew very well Akimi's stamina was astonishing in her own, very personal way. She was not a powerhouse like Naruto but she did have more than the average genin.

The others were the girl's teammates.

"Mmm." Naruto said, leaning a little more against the railing. "Interesting."

Shino looked at him, frowning. "Akimi is able to keep up with you when we do 'team survival training.' There is no way she is already that tired. What is she up to?"

The blonde shrugged. "Look at her hand, Shino."

The bug user complied... and smirked: there was no blood where Tenten had hit her minutes before. "I see." he said. "You aren't the only one who can act."

"Well, you know 'mi-chan and I taught each other everything we know. Right?" Naruto laughed. "The match is over."

Eventually, after Tenten _almost _managed to hit Akimi, the older girl found herself in a perfect spot for her final attack. Her foe had gotten slower and slower and finally she had distanced her enough. Tenten took out two scrolls, trying not to smile too smugly. She tossed them on the ground behind her and went through a small set of handseals. **"Sōshōryū" **she screamed.

Akimi seemed cautious – and worried - as she looked the two smoke dragon raising near Tenten, looking somehow very threatening. She started to retreat even as Tenten jumped between the two scrolls. Then, without further ado, a massive barrage of weapons started to fly towards her. She tried to parry and dodge them, but was inevitably hit.

Tenten landed on the ground, watching with a sigh of relief the sight of Akimi crushing on the ground, holding a particularly nasty wound on her stomach. _'She is going to recover in a few months. I didn't really want to hurt her so badly...' _

"YES, GO TENTEN! THAT WAS SO YOUTHFUL!"

"I can't believe it." Sakura exclaimed. "Tenten beat Akimi!"

"Well, if you think about it, she has a whole year of experience to back her up." Ino said. "We are rookies."

"Yes, but..."

"Tenten hasn't won, I am afraid." Gai seriously said. "But she put up a youthful fight! I'm very proud of her."

"Check mate." Naruto calmly said. "How long have they been fighting for?"

"Almost half an hour." Shino replied, bored. "It has been a good show."

Genma slowly got closer to Akimi, kneeling to assess her injuries. With a sigh he got up and raised his right arm. "Winner Ten..." he started.

And then Akimi's form slowly melted to reveal... mud.

Tenten cursed, immediately going to the defensive... only to discover she couldn't. With horror, she noticed the small seal tag on her right ankle. _'Damn it!' _

"**Fudou no Fūin." **a quiet voice said, as Akimi – the true one – shot out from the ground. "**Activate.**"

Tenten gaped – or better tried to, because she was paralysed – as the cold point of Akimi's Fūma Shuriken touched her throat. Akimi smiled. "You know, when you are in a team with someone who can create solid clones as much as Naruto-kun, it's kind of inevitable you learn how to do so as well. Of course, Tsuchi Bunshin is not as good as Kage Bunshin, but it makes due, you know. Deception is a shinobi greatest weapon."

"Winner... Katora Akimi." Genma said, impressed. _'Her clone lasted a lot of time after being hit. That's probably a combination of genjutsu and earth manipulation. She is really skilled. Kakashi did very well with his brats.' _

Immediately, Akimi released the seal and removed her weapon, giving her right hand to Tenten. "It has been a nice fight, Tenten-san."

The older girl hesitantly accepted the peace's offering. As they shook hands, Akimi whispered: "The strings attached to those weapons are a very neat trick, but you should really watch out for wind users. They could deflect your attacks without breaking a sweat."

Then she turned and slowly walked towards the stairs, even as the crowd cheered for her as strongly as it did for Naruto.

'_She doesn't look tired at all...' _Tenten realised. _'All this time she played me.' _

* * *

Hiruzen Sarutobi smirked. _'Very well played, Akimi. It was a long battle, perhaps you could have won more quickly, but you chose to be cautious and in the end you prevailed without getting hurt... and without hurting your opponent. I think we got yet another chūnin in this bunch.' _

"Interesting." the Kazekage said then. "Konoha sure has some powerful genins this year."

The Hokage nodded. "A very promising generation, indeed." he said. "The Will of Fire carries on." he looked intently at the Wind Shadow and clearly saw the man restrain a derisive snort. He mentally sighed and turned to the field, then to crowd, which seemed to have calmed down after the uproar caused by the delay of Sasuke's match.

In that moment, his bodyguard leaned on his ear. "We dispatched two ANBU squads to look for Sasuke." the man whispered. "Hatake Kakashi also made contact."

Hiruzen nodded. "Very well." he said. "In the meantime, let's go on with the matches."

* * *

As soon as Akimi arrived back to waiting room, Naruto literally jumped on her. "Well done, 'mi-chan!"

The girl laughed, trying to regain her balance. "Try to restrain yourself, 'to-kun. I need a little time to fully recover." she replied, even though she didn't look worn-out at all. "And thank you."

"Troublesome." Shikamaru said as the two went back to the railings. "Couldn't you have fought a little more? Now it's my turn."

Akimi raised an eyebrow. "I could have, yes. But it would have been a waste of chakra and time. Not to mention it could have ruined my chance of a promotion."

"Next match up..." Genma shouted in that moment. "...Temari and Nara Shikamaru."

* * *

**JUTSU NOTES: **

**Sōshōryū **[Twin Raising Dragons]: offensive, mid range. The user launches two scrolls in the air, releasing smoke and a barrage of weapon in the air. The weapons are then launched at the enemy in a inescapable attack. Should the opponent dodge it, the weapons can be launched again thanks to ninja wire.

* * *

**REVIEW'S ANSWERS **

**DexG23: **thank you very much for reviewing. I'm glad you enjoyed the fight! Kick-ass Naruto is fun to write, but mocking kick-ass Naruto is even more fun! =)

**Unmei Ryu: **thank you very much for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the fight and also that you enjoyed the POV switches (as you see I use them in this chapter as well). As you said, this was basically the first time Naruto shows his potential in public and it will have some positive repercussion in future. And yes, Akimi did pull a Kakashi on Tenten (the funny thing is that I did not realised it at first, it just came natural to write it like that XD). I hope you like this chapter as well.

**RayneRodgers20: **thank you for reading and reviewing. I am very glad you liked the story, as I have a lot of fun writing it, but it is always nice to see other people enjoy it as well. I hope this chapter is good as well.

**Skeleus: **thank you very much for reviewing! I am happy you liked the change of points of view and the fight as well. I hope you liked this one as well. =)

**hector4349: **thank you for reviewing! Here is the new chapter, I hope you enjoy it!

* * *

**CHAPTER NOTES: **

_So, I got positive responses about the change of point of view and I am very happy because I think it's a good writing style for battle scenes. I actually thought of doing that while watching the anime cause it's kind of what they do there (although sometimes they do exaggerate a little xd) _

_The way Akimi defeated Tenten is a little similar to Naruto's strategy against Neji and I hope you are not disappointed. However, Naruto and Akimi are so close and always train together so it does not seem so unlikely. Moreover Akimi fought with a lot of caution, trying to save chakra and at the same time buy time. _

_The pull about Shino's affinity is still open and will be open up until the invasion finishes (but I will tell you again when that's happens.) _

_That's all, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. =) _

Next time up: _it's so troublesome... _


	24. Chap 23 It's So Troublesome

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

**Author's note: **_thanks to everyone for reading. __**Answer to the reviews are at the bottom. **_

_I want to give a special thanks to all those that have show me their support: to those who have added this story to favourites or alerts, but especially to those who have reviewed. I just hit __**100 reviews **__and I am elated. I cannot say enough how much they help me and encourage me to keep writing, because even though I always loved to write and enjoyed it, your support makes it all the better altogether. Thank you again. _

_Without further ado, here is it next chapter: _

**THIS IS SO TROUBLESOME **

**Third match: Shikamaru vs. Temari**

"Next match up..." Genma shouted in that moment. "...Temari and Nara Shikamaru."

Temari immediately prepared for battle, looking eager. She made a somehow theatrical entrance riding her fan down to the field.

"Nay, yours was much better, mi-chan." Naruto said. "Now she looks just like she wanted to imitate you."

"What a drag." Shikamaru sighed. "Akimi, did you dig your way through the holes you and your clones shot out from?" he asked in a low voice.

Akimi tilted her head. "Yes. I actually entered the ground from the hole Naruto dug, to save chakra, so they are all connected."

Shikamaru nodded. "I am thinking about retiring, you know."

Akimi shook her head, while Naruto stealthy made his way behind the lazy genius.

"Do you trust me, Shikamaru?" Akimi suddenly said.

The Nara's eyes widened, both because he didn't expect the question and because she hadn't used a honorific suffix. He nodded, silently wondering what was all about.

"Save chakra." she replied. "And make it as long as you can, please."

"What?"

"Just listen to 'mi-chan. And fight!" Naruto exclaimed and promptly shoved him. The poor boy fell down, arriving in the arena head on.

"This is so troublesome..."

* * *

Akimi watched with a small smile as Shikamaru lazily made his way towards Temari and Genma.

"Everything is set up." Naruto said in that moment. "The _False Conversation Seal _is in place."

The girl nodded. During the one month break for training she had looked up a lot of advanced sealing techniques – especially time-space and barriers – and she had also developed a lot of useful supplementary seals, first of all the _Team Compass Seal, _as she had called it. The False Conversation seal was instead the combination of a medium powered privacy seal with a genjutsu seal, that basically masked any conversation so that is sounded like small talk. And if someone recognised the genjutsu and dispelled it, then the privacy seal was still in place.

"Something is up." Akimi said then. "You know as much and Kakashi-sensei confirmed it. We knew that the return of an old foe like Orochimaru didn't bode well for our village, but if this happens while Suna sends here someone like Gaara..."

"... it's suspicious." Naruto concluded for her.

"Or curious at the very least." the girl nodded.

"You think they are going to backstab us." Shino darkly said.

"Aye. Konoha has been expecting an invasion. ANBU has been very busy in these past month and there a lot of them in the stadium right now." Akimi explained. "But I don't think they suspected a betrayal... until yesterday."

"We discovered Gaara holds a Bijū for mere chance yesterday." Naruto explained. "And Akimi informed the jiji of it."

"Hokage-sama listened to you?"

"Of course he did!" Naruto exclaimed. "After all Akimi has unrevealed the secrets of my _special _seal, so there is no way jiji underestimates her."

Shino nodded, a little smirk on his lips.

"I've been thinking about it since yesterday." Akimi said then. "When it was announced your match was being delayed, I had Kaera listen to the Sand Siblings. They were worried about Uchiha-san not being here on time... that it would hinder their **plan.**"

Naruto frowned. "I thought their plan was having Gaara unleash Shukaku here."

"Yes, of course, but I think Orochimaru is the mind behind all of this." Akimi answered.

"It's very likely they also have a further plot to create havoc in the village." Shino murmured. "It's logical after all... and they may use the chaos as a chance to get to Uchiha-san."

"Because we know how much the Oro-teme is interested in the Sasuke very well." Naruto nodded gravely.

"So when sensei told me to patient he was hinting at this delay." Shino exclaimed.

"Precisely. I think they are making Uchiha-san late on purpose." Akimi said. "At least to buy time and ensure his protection."

"Something else is troubling you, 'mi-chan." Naruto softly said.

Akimi watched absently as Temari once again shoved a hurling windstorm towards a battered Shikamaru. "Yes." she answered at last. "I have a bad feeling in my guts. A very, very bad one." she sighed. "I didn't like one bit Sandaime-sama's expression yesterday when I talked to him. He looked somehow... resigned."

Naruto put an hand on her shoulder. "The old man is the strongest ninja in the village. He is the Hokage. He has upon his shoulder the duty to care and protect all the people of Konoha. He was probably worried, that's all."

Akimi nodded. "I suppose you are right."

"We are only genins." Shino said then. "But I believe we can make a difference. You two taught me this. We'll keep an eye on _them._" his eyes shifted towards Kankurō and Gaara.

"And we are very well suited to fight that team." Naruto chuckled. "By the way, how much chakra did you use in the match, 'mi-chan?"

She shrugged. "Well, the Shuriken shadow clones was a bit of a overkill, the Goukakyuu didn't bother me at all and I trained a lot with Doton during this month... so I would say around a quarter. Hopefully I will be up to the top when I fight Gaara."

"'mi-chan..."

"I'll be careful, 'to-kun. I've a plan." Akimi smiled at him, reassuringly

"You asked Shika to make it long..." Naruto said, deactivating the privacy seal. "So you could recover, right?"

"Indeed." Akimi smirked. "Let's enjoy the match. I'm curious to see what strategy Shikamaru will come up with!"

* * *

Shikamaru landed supine on the ground and was immediately drawn to the clouds. The crowd sounded a little disappointed. _'Damn, Naruto! And damn you, Akimi! What the hell does it mean: save chakra and make it as long as you can? I don't want to fight!' _

In that moment Temari pounded the ground with her heavy fan. "Well, are you going to give up as well?"

'_And my opponent is a girl, again!' _

Few moments passed and Shikamaru noted that Team 7, just above him, was deep in conversation. Akimi had a dark and serious expression on. _'Maybe I should listen to her.' _

"If you aren't going to attack, I will!" Temari shouted, racing towards him.

"Ehi, I haven't started the match yet..." Genma protested... to no avail.

Temari simply ignored him and promptly smashed her fan above Shikamaru. A loud crash and a cloud of dust were the results. When the air cleared, Temari saw the lazy genius in front of her, leaning on the wall.

"I don't care if I become a chūnin or not. There are only a couple of women I would not be ashamed to lose to." he pointedly look at her. "You are not one of them. I guess I'll fight this troublesome match."

Temari growled and slashed the air with her fan, unleashing a powerful blast of wind towards her opponent. Once again, Shikamaru ran away, leaving two kunai in his place.

'_Kawarimi. [Substitution]' _Temari thought, looking around. _'This guy uses shadows as a weapon... I think he is trying to lure me into the trees where there are a lot of shadows... pity I am a long ranged fighter!' _

"Shikamaru! Come on, attack! Go get her!" Ino shouted.

"Why do you yell like that?" Chōji asked, munching chips like a crazy man. "He doesn't want to fight. He'll give up soon."

'_I wish I were a cloud.' _Shikamaru thought, staring at the sky. _'No problems, no worries... no fighting. And I thought that being a ninja could be fun and...' _he sighed, leaving his hiding spot between a tree. _'... well, things don't go that easily, do they?' _

Temari frowned at the strange, dumb expression on the boy's face. Annoyed, she shouted: **"Ninpo: Kamaitachi **[Sickle Weasel Technique]**!' **and slashed viciously with her fan.

This time, the attack she created was a raging windstorm, that lifted a heavy cloud of dirt all around. The wind was so powerful it arrived even to the seats, blowing several leaves on the crowd. Temari was smirking, but her expression quickly fell as she saw a shadow, shaped almost like a spear, shooting towards her. Without missing a beat, she quickly jumped back several times, until the shadow simply stopped and, after a few second hesitation, retreated.

Temari immediately traced a line with her fan, before implanting it on the ground. "I've figured **Kagemane no jutsu **[Shadow Imitation Technique] out. There is a limit to how much you can shrink, stretch and manipulate your shadow... you can't go past its normal surface area, even if you use the wall's shadow to boost its length." _'I'm safe as long as I stay behind this line.' _

Shikamaru was panting for the strain of sending his shadow out so long. _'This doesn't look good, she is a long range fighter...' _With a sigh he crouched, leaning on the wall, and formed a peculiar hand seal, with his finger touching each other in a cube like shape.

Asuma recognised it immediately, explaining to Kurenai how the Nara used that pose to think about several possible scenarios and was able to come up with a lot of different strategies whenever he did so. Naruto and Akimi also were familiar with it.

"Ah!" Akimi exclaimed delighted. "Finally he is getting serious." she then looked at Temari. "I wonder why she isn't attacking him while his guard is down. Or do you think she can't reach him with a damaging jutsu at that range?"

Naruto shrugged. "If you think about it, her stamina is limited. You are used to my raw power. The greater the distance, the greater the strain. She is probably saving energy."

Akimi nodded. "Yeah. She is tough, though. Her reserve are bigger than the other rookie kunoichi put together."

"We must not underestimate her if we have to fight her." Shino said, fixing his sunglasses. "I think it would be best for me to take Kankurō on, while you take Temari, Akimi."

The other girl smirked, looking very feral. The other two were reminded that she _was _bonded to a tiger, after all. "Yeah, I think it would be best."

In that moment Shikamaru opened his eyes. Naruto, Akimi and Asuma knew what it meant. He was done thinking. Temari saw it as well and unleashed another wave of wind at him.

"There is no use in hiding!" Temari shouted, as Shikamaru quickly covered behind a tree.

'_She was collecting her strength, then? Why didn't she attack immediately?' _Akimi thought. _'What a waste of time. Leaving the enemy time to think up a strategy is such a idiotic thing to do. Even if she doesn't know how smart Shikamaru is, it's just... foolish.' _

Shikamaru didn't seem like he was about to come out from his hiding spot anytime soon. Temari was getting annoyed, one could see, and attacked another couple of times, without getting any reaction.

"Come out already!" she shouted, hurling a nasty wind attack towards the tree. "You can't run forever!"

She got what she wished for. First, a kunai came right towards her and she quickly dodged it, jumping to her right, then she used her fan to parry another. What she didn't expect was to see Shikamaru's shadow to come out again. "There is no use! I'm safe if I stay behind the lin... oh, this is bad!"

She swiftly jumped back, just as the shadow stretched behind the line she had set before.

"The sun sets, shadows grow." Akimi said. "Smart Shikamaru."

Temari was intently looking at the bent shadow, probably trying to calculate the progress it made in the few minutes Shikamaru had bought time.

Akimi frowned. _'He doesn't have that much chakra... why is he wasting it by keeping the technique up? And where did he put his jacket? What are you up to, Shikamaru?' _

"Now, that's _very _smart." Naruto exclaimed, nudging her to watch up. She smirked when she saw what caught the blonde's attention.

"Temari! Above you!" shouted Kankurō in that moment.

Shikamaru had used is jacket to create a parachute so to increase his shadow's surface. As soon as the shadow of the flying object arrived over his main shadow, it shot forward towards Temari. Only her brother's warning allowed her to jump back and avoid being caught.

"I'm not letting you escape!" the Nara shouted.

Shikamaru led her in a game of chase through half of the field, but eventually the parachute fell and his shadow retreated back to the line Temari had drawn, leaving him panting. Akimi tilted her head.

Temari looked very determined.

"She is going to get very serious with her next attack." Shino curtly said. "She knows that as time passes, so does Shikamaru's territory."

"I bet Shika has something planned as well. He can think ten steps ahead of you."

Akimi nodded at Naruto's statement. "Shikamaru is the best strategist I ever met. In fact, he thoroughly analysed the battle field before his match even started. I think only his father can really beat him in this area. Nara-san is astonishing, but then again he has experience to back him up."

"Why do you know about Shika's dad?"

"We met him once, remember?" Akimi asked. "And he is the Jōnin Commander, after all. It's the highest ranked shinobi in the village after the Hokage, on par with the ANBU Commander."

Naruto nodded. "I didn't know that he was Shika's dad."

Shikamaru completely retreated his shadow and Temari looked ready to exploit the moment.

Operative word being try.

Temari couldn't move, much to her utter horror.

"**Kagemane no jutsu**. Success." Shikamaru smugly said.

The crowd was astonished. Asuma was surprised, but knew his student had some kind ace on his sleeves. Sakura, Kiba and Ino were also very amazed. Many spectator started to cheer. Shino smirked a little. Naruto shouted in excitement. Akimi laughed.

"How?" Temari stuttered.

"I'll show you what's behind you." the boy replied, turning his head.

Temari was forced to imitate his movements and her eyes' widened when she saw the hole behind her. It was the one from which Naruto had shot out in his match with Neji.

"Akimi told me she used that hole to enter the ground. She then dug her way with chakra towards the hole in front of you, from which she exited to finish her match off. They are connected." Shikamaru explained.

"So you used the shadow inside the tunnel to...?"

"Correct." Shikamaru nodded, stepping forward. Once again, Temari had to mirror him. They stopped when they arrived in the centre of the arena.

Akimi was still giggling a little.

"What has gotten into you?" Naruto said.

"Think about what you know about Shikamaru. What do you think he is going to do next?"

Naruto scratched his head. Then he mockingly slapped himself. "Oh, boy..."

Shikamaru raised his arm and kept it suspended. Temari gulped. The whole crowd was holding its breath. Then he spoke.

"I lose. I give up."

"What a wait to deflate the atmosphere." Shino deadpanned.

"What?" Temari shouted. "Why?"

"I used too much chakra holding Kagemane no jutsu so long. I can hold you only for ten additional seconds." Shikamaru explained. "So I've thought about an hundred moves I could do... but time is up." he lowered his arm. "It's too troublesome to do more." he shrugged. "Our match is enough for me."

Genma sighed. _'What a weird guy.' _"Winner, Temari."

* * *

Ino was enraged. "I can't believe he wasted this opportunity! He could have become chūnin!"

Chōji shrugged. "It's his nature." he said. "I told you he was going to give up."

Kiba shook his head. "What a guy. But if you think about it, his next opponent would have been either Gaara or Akimi." he commented. "And he said he hadn't any chakra left. So his choice was the smartest. In one case he would have lost the match, in another he would have basically lost his life."

The other teens looked with shocked and baffled looks.

"What?" Kiba looked affronted. "My sister drilled basic strategy to me!"

They all laughed.

Akimi and Naruto were also laughing at Shikamaru's antics, as the lazy boy slowly returned to the combatants' booth.

"Shikamaru, good match!" Akimi exclaimed.

"Amazing strategy, dattebayo!"

"Aren't you going to be troublesome about the fact I gave up?"

"A good shinobi knows there is a time to fight and a time to escape so to be able to fight another time." Akimi said. "A comrade's life is worth more than any mission."

Naruto and Shino nodded.

"Now, we just need to see if Sasuke gets here or not." Shikamaru yawned. "The crowd is waiting for him."

"Take this, Shikamaru." Akimi gave him a pill. "It'll help regaining your chakra. You'll need it. And watch out."

The lazy genius looked a little baffled by this but nodded and popped the pill in his mouth.

"Well, I don't think Uchiha-san has much time left..." Akimi sighed. "It's almost as if Kakashi-sensei has meddled with this..."

* * *

Genma sighed, looked at the Kage booth and saw the Sandaime nod. He raised his arm. "The last match of the first round is..."

He was stopped by a sudden swirling amass of leaves, that appeared in the centre of the arena. Then, Kakashi Hatake and Sasuke Uchiha appeared, back to back. The jōnin ruffled his hair in embarrassment, while Sasuke stood still, his usually angry with the world expression on.

The crowd was in an happy uproar within seconds.

"I hope we are not late." Kakashi said, while Genma sweat dropped. "I guess it's a lot to ask in this situation, but is Sasuke-kun disqualified?"

"He is fine. His match was delayed." the proctor replied.

"Oh, really?" Kakashi exclaimed, giggling a little. "That is a relief!" and he disappeared with a puff of smoke before the other man could even reply.

Genma sighed. "Very well. This match will be Uchiha Sasuke..." he saw with his head the tall and mysterious last member of Team 7 walk slowly towards them. "... and Aburame Shino."

* * *

**REVIEW ANSWERS **

**vsncheze: **thank you for reviewing! I am glad you enjoyed the fight, even though I purposely kept simple. I hope I can manage to keep updating often, but for now it seems I will. I hope you liked the chapter.

**azfaerydust: **thank you for reading and reviewing. I'm glad you enjoyed the story. About Naruto and Fūinjutsu: 1) he is more competent in Fūinjutsu than he seems, 2) like in canon, Naruto doesn't really enjoys intellectual activities (like I believe Fūinjutsu is) and would rather spend is time practicing ninjutsu rather than Fūinjutsu. I hope you liked the chapter, thanks again for reviewing.

**ILOVEANIME123: **thank you very much for reviewing. Fudou no Fūin means Immobility Seal. I hope that using Japanese names for techniques isn't making reading this story more difficult, but I will try to implement translation from now on (and eventually edit old chapters as well). I hope you liked this chapter.

**Skeleus: **thank you so much for reviewing**! **I am glad you liked the fight and the writing style. I hope you enjoy this one as well.

**Unmei Ryu: **thank you so much for reviewing! I am glad you agree with me about Naruto/Akimi's similar fighting style. I am also happy you liked the chapter and the PO switches. I hope you enjoyed this one as well.

**pedobear412: **thank you so much for reading and reviewing! Thinking that you couldn't stop reading my story makes me very happy and also helps finding the right inspiration to write next chapters. I am also glad you like Akimi and the plot. Thank you again for your compliments! I hope you liked this chapter as well.

**Pirate Queen ofthe 21st centry: **thank you so much for reading and reviewing. I have spent nights reading good fan fiction myself and thinking that someone is doing it because of _my _story is something really elating. So thank you again for the review. I am glad you like Akimi, as one of my fears when I started the fic was to create a boring OC. And smarter Naruto rules! I hope you liked this chapter as well.

* * *

**CHAPTER NOTES: **

_So, I kept the fight exactly like in canon because there was really no reason to change it. The most interesting part about the chapter is in fact the talk between Team 7. So what do you think about Sasuke being late on purpose? _

_I'm having some difficulties writing the fight between Sasuke and Shino, but hopefully I will finish it soon and be able to update next week. I just hope I will, but I am not making any promises. _

_I wanted to ask you guys if the use of __**Japanese names for the techniques**__ bothers you. For some strange reason I love the original names of the jutsu, but I can easily see that it's hard to keep up with all the names (especially for my original jutsu). I think I'll put English translation in brackets, but would you like if I also put at the bottom of the chapter the jutsu description even if it is not the first time it's used in the fic? (aside from the obvious techniques like Kage Bunshin etc, which I assume everyone knows the meaning of) _

_Lastly, like I said at the top, a very big thanks to all those who added the story to favourite, alerts or have reviewed or even just read. Until next time! _

Next time up: Shino vs. Sasuke


	25. Chap 24 The First Round of Fights Ends

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

**Author's note: **Thanks to everyone for reading!** Answer to the reviews are at the bottom.**

_I am not completely satisfied about this chapter – and especially the title – but I do hope you guys enjoy it. So, without further ado here it is: _

**THE FIRST ROUND OF FIGHTS ENDS: SASUKE VS SHINO**

_**Or: "the last Uchiha fights!" **_

"This match will be Uchiha Sasuke against Aburame Shino." Genma's voice boomed.

The crowd cheered loudly... and then cheered some more. Everyone was excited to see the last Uchiha fight. Especially considering it was against another clan heir – of one of the four noble clans moreover!

Genma shook his head. _'Names aren't everything...' _he considered. "Since you weren't there when I explained it before, I will do so now." he started, looking sharply at Sasuke. "The rules will be the same as the preliminaries: the match will go on until one of you dies or gives up. If I decide there is a clear winner I will call off the match. No protests about it."

"Hn."

"Very well." Genma evenly said. "The final match of the first round... now **begins!**" and he promptly jumped back to avoid being hit but... nothing happened.

Sasuke and Shino simply stared at each other. The scowl on the Uchiha's face was deep and scornful, but the boy was still, only his fists trembling in excitement. The stoic Aburame on the other hand resembled a statue and he only moved to fix his glasses on his nose.

"Why don't they start?" Naruto asked, yawning. "I'm getting bored."

"They are waiting for the other to make a move." Akimi replied. "Theoretically and possibly even practically this fight is very well balanced."

Her words held true and the two opponents knew it as well. Shino's specialty were ambushes and he could not certainly did that in an open and plain arena. If he attacked with his Kikai, the Uchiha would detect them on the spot and dodge them – or worse destroy them with his Katon techniques.

On the other hand, Sasuke knew he could not use one of his strongest assets, genjutsu, because the Aburame's insects would recognise it immediately. It would have been a simple waste of chakra. He did not want to use ninjutsu either because he had no doubts Shino would easily avoid his attacks. And Taijutsu... while he was pretty confident he was better than his foe at it, engaging in a hand to hand fight increased the risk of being hit by chakra sucking insects.

The crowd was getting annoyed by the long – and seemingly endless – stall between the two combatants. Soon, the spectators made themselves known, shouting and complaining loudly: they had waited long for this match and now it would not get started properly.

It was beyond time one of the two made a move. And then it happened, without any forewarning and unexpectedly. Shino had only the time to register the change in his opponent's eyes: from sheer black to scarlet red, before Sasuke lounge forward, charging him with an astonishing speed.

* * *

Uchiha Sasuke was very annoyed – not that one would be able to see it – because, since the happenings of the Second Exam, things had gone into a rapid downfall. He was flustered, angry and restless.

He did not really mind to be confined to his clan compound, because it gave him the chance of training as much as he wanted. And trained he did. The ANBU guards that kept tabs on him weren't a bother, had it not been for the strange silver haired jōnin.

There was something about Hatake Kakashi that just irked him – a lot. It may have been the way Kakashi patronisingly talked to him or looked down at him... or just the fact that he had _ordered _– and who was he to order an Uchiha around? – he was to arrive late at the preliminaries. That had just infuriated him: he had his family name and honour to carry, what kind of impression would he make arriving late? Not only late, but _monstrously _late. Still he had no choice: it was not like he could go against a whole squad of ANBU and a jōnin.

And if all of this had not been enough, before Sunshining away, Hatake had looked at him and told him that if he dared use the Cursed Seal during the Exam he would make him be very sorry for it. They all told him that... day after day: Kurenai-sensei, Kakashi and even the Hokage came to his home to remind him of that prohibition. Sasuke wasn't stupid and he got the message: no using the alluring but dark power Orochimaru gave him. And yet the mark on his neck still stung with a small – and yet almost pleasurable – pain... a pain that sang to him, promising power beyond his imagination and sweet, sweet revenge. The Cursed Seal called for blood and violence as well and Sasuke was very inclined to give in.

So even if he had planned from the very start of the training's month to wait until his adversary made the first move, now he could not wait. The frustration and anger were too strong and needed to be vented somehow. The last straw had been the loud and sometimes offensive complaints coming from the spectators... he would show them. He was an avenger. He was stronger than all the other idiots of the village.

With those dark thoughts swirling in his head, Sasuke activated his Sharingan, feeling empowered as usually by the sensation of sheer clarity those eyes gave him. He would show them, he would show them the power of the Uchiha. Then, without losing any second, he charged his opponent.

* * *

Shino had appraised Sasuke's speed and movements during his preliminary match. He immediately realised his foe had greatly improved during the month that passed, because he could easily rival with Naruto's speed now... perhaps even Rock Lee's with his weights. But precisely because Shino was used to his blonde teammate's hyperactive energy, he had no qualms in easily parrying the violent punch Sasuke swept at him with his hand, grasping it as well with ease. If Sasuke could compete – and maybe even surpass – Naruto in speed, he was clearly weaker than the blonde, so Shino didn't even flinch at the impact.

Sasuke snarled and immediately broke contact, lest his opponent sneaked Kikai on them... and in fact he could see the black spots on his hand. Infuriated, Sasuke waved them off, before easily ducking to avoid the vicious kick Shino launched at him.

The two genins started a furious battle of hand to hand combat, Shino trying to block each and every blows from Sasuke, trying to slip Kikai on him, but the Uchiha read with his Sharingan said attempts and thwarted them off. As a result, Sasuke was continuously attacking and changing movements midair to avoid Shino's blocking.

"Why isn't Shino-san attacking as well?" wondered Lee from his position. "He is wasting chakra!"

"Mah, Lee-kun, Shino's strength doesn't lie in his taijutsu." a laidback voice answered him.

Lee and the other rookie genins turned, startled. Kakashi waved them hello, eye smiling. They had not heard him coming.

Gai smirked at the masked jōnin. "One could think you were deliberately making Sasuke late so your student could pass to the next round."

Kakashi almost answered with his usual _'Did you say something?'_, but since he was particularly protective of his three genin he replied: "He doesn't need my help. Look."

The crowd was in fact starting to notice something quite... peculiar. Shino had tried to maintain the fight restrained to a small area of the arena and the ground around the two genins was now literally black. Those among the crowd who knew about the Aburame's kekkai genkai easily understood what was happening: Shino had sneaked his insects on the ground from his very feet so that they could attack Sasuke from behind. Clearly, he had engaged in the taijutsu battle only to distract the Uchiha. It was only a matter of minutes before he would launch his own offensive.

They didn't have to wait long. As Sasuke's attacks became more and more furious, Shino smirked and deliberatively let himself being hit on a shoulder by a punch. As Shino was launched back towards the arena's wall, Sasuke smirked smugly... right before a swarm of insects descended on him.

"Go like that, Shino!" Naruto exclaimed.

The Uchiha was surrounded by a black bur, some insects were already crawling on his body. He looked around briefly, as if searching for a way to escape... but there were none. He was not about to be defeated though, like hell he was! Regaining his bearings in few seconds the Uchiha quickly went through handseals.

"**Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu **[Great Fireball Technique]" he shouted few seconds later.

Shino had flipped in the air and landed vertically on the wall, using chakra to propel himself, just as his Kikaichū had moved to attack Sasuke. He observed everything with keen eyes, ready to make another move. He had spent enough time with Akimi to recognise Katon when he saw it and Katon didn't bode well for his beloved insects: so he also started a sequence of seals of his own.

As the blazing and hot flames evoked by Sasuke moved forward, Shino crossed his fingers. "**Mushi Kage Bunshin no Jutsu" **he murmured.

Sasuke didn't have time to rejoice, because even though the annoying bugs seemed to be dispersed by his attack at first, they suddenly multiplied in front of his eyes. Keeping his cool, he simply pumped more chakra into the technique.

'_Did Shino just use a modified Kage Bunshin?" _the Sandaime thought in wonder. _'He cloned his Kikai. If that really works, it will be an amazing asset for the Aburame clan!' _

When the great fireball was finally dispersed, there was no insect in the arena: Sasuke had killed them all. Or better, said, he _almost _killed them all.

Shino winced in pain as he felt his Kikai die. Truly, their life cycle wasn't very long and lasted a day at most, but feeling them die in battle was also painful, in contrast with the peaceful and numbing sensation their natural death gave him. Still, his loss was balanced by the success of his attack.

Sasuke was panting, standing in an almost crouched position. It clearly meant one thing and one thin only: he had lost a great amount of chakra. Shino had multiplied the numbers of his Kikai exponentially and that allowed some of them to reach Sasuke and suck all the chakra they could from him, until they literally died from "indigestion" (they were clones, after all, they were disposable).

Shino jumped down from the wall and fell into a defensive stance. The **Mushi Kage Bunshin **was an excellent and very powerful technique, but it did cost a lot in terms of raw chakra... and he had not very big reserves. Even though the loss had somehow been reintegrated by the energy stolen from Sasuke, Shino knew he could not use that technique again – unless it was an emergency. So he simply fixed his sunglasses and intently observed his opponent, wondering what his next move would be. '_He seems... tense. It's strange, he is always so calm and collected. I wonder...' _Eventually he decided what to do.

"That was a nice display." Shino quietly said, but he knew Sasuke heard him. "But I am not impressed. Akimi can do so much better than you with that technique."

Sasuke breathed heavily. "What did you say?" he hissed.

Shino was wary of the other boy. He didn't want to make him activate his Cursed Seal, but... anger clouded judgement and therefore made Sasuke weaker. The gambit was worth it. "You heard me." he replied. "You need to do better if you want to defeat me."

"How dare you!" Sasuke shouted, his chakra flaring up. "I'll show you!" and he charged forward, enraged.

Shino smirked. '_It worked' _he thought, preparing to face the wrath of the Uchiha.

* * *

"Oh, kami!" Naruto laughed. "Shino insulted him! That is so out of character."

"It's kind of smart, though." Akimi sounded amused as well. "Otherwise he would have never done it."

"You two have really corrupted him." Shikamaru said, yawning. "This is so troublesome..."

"Shika, I am offended." Naruto brought an hand to his heart. "Me? Corrupting someone? How can you think that?"

Shikamaru looked at the other boy like he had grown a second head, raising an eyebrow, while Akimi lightly swatted the blonde's head.

"'to-kun, focus on the battle."

Naruto did so just in time to see the two genin violently clash. He immediately noticed Sasuke was faster this time. Much more faster... and probably even stronger.

Shino had barely the time to shield himself with his arms crossed, before Sasuke swept a vicious punch at him. He could not even think of sneaking insects on him or counteract as the other boy disappeared from his view to kick him in the shoulders.

Shino landed several meters ahead, feeling Sasuke following him at once. He quickly jumped out of the way, but thanks to his Sharingan, the Uchiha predicted his movement and was there to meet him, with another punch at his stomach. He realised something just at the same time his teammates did.

"That's Lee-san's taijutsu style." Akimi exclaimed, recognising the same moves the bobbled haired kid had used against Gaara.

"Yes... and it's even more deadly because of his Sharingan." Naruto observed.

Shino had his bugs out, trying to deter Sasuke's attacks, but the Uchiha was too fast and he couldn't hit him with them.

"Still, he can't have reached such a speed in only a month." Akimi crossed her arms. "He is using chakra to enhance his muscles."

Naruto nodded. "Clearly. At this level he can't keep up for long."

Akimi raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps he counts on defeating Shino in very little time. Fool."

Shino got up for the umpteenth time, silently thanking Akimi for the reinforced jacket she gave him that was muffling the impact of his opponent's attack. He knew as well that Sasuke couldn't maintain that rhythm for much longer, but he didn't really fancy being hit again. He moved quickly, making five simply hand seals before Sasuke could reach him again.

"**Mushi Kame no Jutsu **[Wall of Insects Technique]" he firmly stated, unleashing his bugs.

The technique was based on a simply concept, but yet it was quite complex to perform. Shino had to reinforce his Kikaichū with chakra and then have them flying around him as quickly as they could. The spinning insects basically created a reinforced dome around him, similar to Kaiten, but quite weaker albeit it could last longer. Shino felt Sasuke's kick clash against the barrier.

"And so Shino buys time." Naruto smirked. "Good plan."

Akimi nodded. "Still, he can't maintain that dome for long. It's all down to what Uchiha-san will do now."

As Sasuke was charging forward once again, his Sharingan registered the hand seals Shino performed, but he didn't even think of copying them. He knew very well he could not use the secret Aburame's clan jutsu. A part of him thought it would be wise to end the attack right there and prepare to defend, but the adrenaline rushing into his body, united with the addictive pain on his neck, won the battle and he didn't stop. Luckily, his opponent was not attacking, he was defending.

Sasuke clashed against the dome of spinning insects and the impact made him almost wince. It felt almost like he clashed against solid rocks! "Damn it!" he cursed, as he recoiled back, before landing in a crouched position in front of black dome. He was panting.

What was he to do now? Sasuke wondered. He could feel his reserves lowering... perhaps the Kikaichū that had assaulted him earlier had drained more chakra than he thought. He pondered whether to attack the dome again with taijutsu or not... _'I may be able to bring it down if I attack relentlessly, but I doubt I could much afterwards. No, I need something... drastic.' _

With a sigh, Sasuke fumbled with his jacket until he found a chakra pill, a gift from Kiba. He had almost laughed in the face of his teammate when the Inuzuka gave it to him, but now he was kind of glad he hadn't. Not that he would ever, ever say it aloud. He popped the pill in his mouth.

From inside the dome, Shino saw this through the eyes of a couple of insects he had left out to monitor the situation. _'Worrisome.' _he thought. _'But it could also be my chance to finish this.' _

Sasuke poured all his frustration in the technique he was about to perform. The dark feeling fuelled his power, yes, but also nurtured the Cursed Seal on his neck, colliding against the protection of the Fūja Hōin [Evil Sealing Method].

"**Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu **[Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique]**" **he bellowed, breathing out a large cloud of fire. The technique was clearly more powerful than Goukakyuu, but less devastating than Karyū Endan _(Fire Dragon Flame Bullet)_.

The burst of flames clashed violently against the dome of insects, successfully destroying it, but what a smirking Sasuke failed to notice was that Shino had ordered to most of his Kikai to disperse before being reached by the technique.

Sasuke did not have much time to exult, because he clearly felt a hissing sound coming from behind him. He thanked his reflexes for being able to duck and avoid being hit by...

'_A bō staff!' _the Sandaime opened in a small smile. It had been a while since he saw a genin taking an interest in his own weapon of choice. _'I wonder how well Kakashi taught Shino to use it. It's not a very common weapon in this village. Then again, Kakashi is good friend with Gai, so...' _

In fact, Shino did seem to know what he was doing with his long, black staff. It was a beautiful weapon, Sarutobi thought, bigger in the middle and with tapered ends, reinforced with metal. He would also bet his pipe the weapon was enhanced with seals, since he knew how close Team 7 was.

Shino started to attack Sasuke with his weapon, using at his advantage its length to keep Sasuke at bay. His katas were impressive, but a little flawed, which made the Hokage think that the boy had not been training with the staff for long. However, he knew that Shino had gained the approval of several jōnin specialised in hand to hand combat.

Just after thinking that, Sarutobi leaned forward from his throne noticing another difference in Shino's appearance. He was not the only one.

"Is that a gourd on Shino's shoulders?" Kiba asked, with a puzzled face.

It was true, the boy was now carrying a small gourd, dark brown on colour, with several lighter markings all around its surface. The object did not seem to hinder Shino's movements, which were fluid and precise.

"I think it is." Sakura replied. "I heard it's a way to carry around more insects."

"If that were the case, Shino-san would have had it since the start of the fight." Gai intervened. "What is that thing really, rival Kakashi?"

The masked jōnin was smirking widely. "It's their secret project." he replied. "Naruto and Akimi helped him develop it. I don't want to spoil it for you."

On the combatants booth, Naruto and Akimi looked excited as hell that Shino had finally decided to bring out 'the big guns', while Shikamaru thought that is was all very troublesome.

On the battlefield, Sasuke did notice the small thing on Shino's back but did not really think much of it. He was too busy in the furious and persisting exchange of blows with his opponent. He knew the rush of power the pill had given him would soon finish.

Eventually, Shino pulled back, jumping several meters away from Sasuke. The Uchiha started to pursue him at once, but was blocked by a swarm of black insects just as he was about to reach him. He cursed, pondering whether to use or not another Katon jutsu – he wasn't sure he could sustain it – when Shino placed his mysterious gourd on the ground.

"I will end this now." the Aburame muttered, moving his hands fairly quickly.

Sasuke started a sequence of his own immediately, as he did not want to discover what trick his opponent was up to.

He was too late.

"**Gahoukagure no jutsu! **[Hidden in Spores Technique]" Shino exclaimed, as the gourd opened in front of him.

And then a strange, dark and dense cloud surrounded them for several meters. Sasuke was horrified, comprehending that he could not see anymore, that he stopped doing handseals altogether. _'What the hell is this?' _

The audience was having similar reaction. They could not understand what it was, but they did realise what its function was: thwart the power of the Sharingan. The more experienced Shinobi immediately linked the technique to Kirikagure (Hidden in Mist) no jutsu – and they were therefore very impressed with it all.

Gai was gaping as well. "How very youthful!" he bellowed.

"What the hell is that cloud?" Kiba shouted.

Surprisingly, it was Ino to answer. "They are spores." she said. "Of several different types of flowers and trees."

Kakashi seemed amused. "How do you know it?"

"Because Akimi bought all our supplies of them in our shop." she answered. "I honestly thought she was nuts, but Dad seemed amused – she probably told him what they were for."

"It's a very nasty trick." Kakashi explained. "Those little things are basically engulfed with Shino's chakra and not only they block sight, in time they also irritate the eyes."

"How can Shino-san find Sasuke in there, then?" Lee asked.

Kakashi eye smiled. "He has his ways."

* * *

Shino, his eyes firmly closed, felt perfectly at ease inside the dense and almost suffocating cloud of small spores. He was naturally used to them and had trained to sustain the technique had best with the help of his teammates.

The Hidden in Spores techniques was an amazing asset, especially against opponents who relied on sight such as Sasuke. The only downside was its chakra cost. Although most of the power needed for the technique had been stored from Shino previously, thanks to seals provided by Akimi, he had to control the spores, each one of them, to keep them together and effectively cloud Sasuke's vision. He only had few minutes at best. He would not waste them.

During their frequent taijutsu skirmishes, it was easy for Shino to sneak a female Kikai on Sasuke. As such, he exactly knew where his opponent was. He ordered some of his insects to stop any escape attempt, while he attacked with his _bō _staff, along with the rest of his Kikai.

The spectators could not see what was happening within the black cloud of spores, but they did distinctively hear a strong thud and the small cry of pain from Sasuke. Clearly, the Uchiha had been hit. Soon, another crash was heard. Then another... and another.

"Ouch." Naruto knew very well how painful the bruises from Shino's staff could be. "I almost pity Sasuke."

"I do not." Akimi darkly said. "Shino must finish this soon. Uchiha-san is at his limit."

Before Naruto could ask what she meant, a enraged scream echoed in the arena. Besides him, Shikamaru gulped: it was Killing Intent and he only had sensed something so powerful and vicious the day before, when they had confronted Gaara.

Naruto watched in horror as the cloud of spores was partly dispersed by large waves of malicious, purple chakra. "NO!" he shouted. A swarm of black Kikaichū was flying away from, clearly frightened by the evil that spread from Sasuke.

Genma, from his spot in the battlefield, looked frozen, unsure of what to do. Sarutobi leaped on his feet as soon as the Cursed Seal had been activated, worried.

"**Mushi Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" **Shino shouted from the black cloud of spores.

To Naruto and Akimi, who knew him well, the worry in his voice was clearly audible. The audience was frozen in terror as well, not used such a pressuring Killing Intent, then to their uttermost shock the cloud of spores dispersed and they saw Sasuke, surrounded by a purple aura, clash against Shino, surrounded by a swarm of insects.

The impact was so powerful and intense it created a terrible and deafening explosion, raising a cloud of smoke all around the arena. Then there was silence.

* * *

**JUTSU NOTES: **

**Mushi Kage Bunshin no Jutsu **[Insect Shadow Clone Technique], A rank, supplementary. A modified version of the classic Kage Bunshin, this techniques allows Aburame clan member to multiply their insect a lot of times. Moreover, the cloned insects, once dispersed, give to the user the chakra their absorbed.

**Mushi Kame no Jutsu **[Wall of Insects Technique] B rank, defensive, short range. The user enhance its Kikaichū with chakra and has them rotate around him at an high speed, creating a protective dome similar to the Hyūga's Kaiten. The technique can be maintained for a relatively long time, but can also be easily destructed by an explosion or a fire technique.

**Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu **[Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique]: C/B rank, offensive, short to mid range. This technique is basically a overpowered version of the Great Fireball Technique and it allows the user to send out a large burst of flames, powerful enough to melt stones.

AN: while the name of the technique is canonical, I have change its effects 

**Gahoukagure no jutsu! **[Hidden in Spores Technique]**: **B rank, supplementary, mid range. The user releases from a special gourde a huge amount of spores, engulfed with chakra. The user must control the spores constantly to keep them closely thickened together. The techniques creates a dense cloud of spores that block and hinder their opponent's sight. Long exposure to the technique can cause damage the eyes.

* * *

**REVIEW'S ANSWERS: **

**vsncheze: **_thank you very much for reviewing. Shikamaru is one of my favourite characters, so it was fun to write that fight =) I hope you liked this fight, let me know what you think. Without spoilering, I can tell you that starting from the invasion on I will really begin to divert from canon._

**Pirate Queen ofthe 21st centry: **_thank you so much for reviewing. I am glad you like the idea of the brackets. I hope you liked the chapter, let me know! =)_

**NATSUxERZA 123456: **_thank you very much for reviewing. I am glad you liked the fights. As for having them divided, the reasons are quite simple: I was essentially buying time to write next chapters and it is good to keep up suspense as well. I know the chapters are short, but having them all in one chapter would have way too long. _

**Decius23: **_thank you for reading and reviewing. First, I am glad you like the story. I've already answered you via PM, but I'll also like to say a couple of words about the issue here, in case other readers feel the same way as you: _

**About Naruto and Fūinjutsu: **in my head I see Naruto as a melee fighter specialised in ninjutsu. This doesn't mean he goes around mindlessly throwing jutsu around like in canon.

He does know Fūinjutsu, most times he simply doesn't elect to use it. There may be occasion when, on the other end, he will use it. As for the Uzumaki clan, I find difficult to think it is or was the only clan in the Elemental Nations to specialise in Fūinjutsu, which is why I created Akimi's way with a specialisation in seals. That's is, essentially, all.

**Laura-Jean95: **_thank you for reading and reviewing. I hope you liked this chapter. And you are right, Shikamaru is very cool when he behaves like the lazy genius he is. =) =) _

**pedobear412: **_thank you so much for reviewing! I am so glad you liked interactions between character... especially regarding the other rookie nines, aside from Team 7, I am sometimes unsure how to write them, so your comment was very appreciated. _

_Regarding the fuzzy ball and Naruto, you exactly got what I was trying to convey about the importance of names. It was basically an intuition Naruto had thanks to his knowledge of Fūinjutsu and it was basically the most powerful bargaining chip he had =. _

_Thank you again for your compliments and I hope you enjoyed the chapter. _

**Skeleus **_thank you so much for reviewing =) I hope you liked this fight as well and let me know what do you think of Japanese names with the translations beside, does it make more difficult to read the story? _

**OnePieceFAN2012**_**: **__thank you for reading and reviewing =). I am glad you liked the story. Just a warning though, I am fast now because I'm inspired and I can easily write, but I am subjected to sudden and long writer blocks so I don't know how long it will last. Although I do hope I get no block at all =) _

**mg4of6: **_thank you for reading and reviewing =). I am very glad you liked the story! I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well._

**Unmei Ryu: **_thank you so much for reviewing. I am glad you liked the chapter. The chat between Team 7 was really the main point of last chapter and I'll let you know I've some good ideas about how the invasion will play. I hope you enjoyed this fight. Let me know =) _

* * *

**CHAPTER'S NOTES **

So, cliff-hanger. Don't hate me too much please. I have not started next chapter yet, but hopefully it won't take me too much to write it – and I will post it as soon as I finish it. 

**About this chapter**: I hope I did not get too much into bashing when I described Sasuke. But I do not hide the fact that I hate his guts, so probably I did. Perhaps he was a little OOC at the beginning, because he did not keep his "cool".

However, I suppose that this Sasuke has not benefited of Naruto's positive influence and is therefore much more darker. Which also means the Cursed Seal has a bigger grasp on him, clouding his judgement. This is why he acted hastily and perhaps even foolishly at times, during the battle. 

Also, he learned **Lee's taijutsu style** even though Kakashi didn't teach him. I think Sasuke is smart enough to do so on his own, especially since he saw how powerful the style actually his during the battle between Gaara and Lee (he was there to see it in this story) 

Lastly, I do hope that Shino's tricks are believable. Do tell me what you think about them. 

At the beginning I said the Aburame are one of the "**noble clans**" of Konoha. I found this info on Narutowikia and I just thought to put it there. The other three are Uchiha, Hyūga and Akimichi. I am just guessing it means this clans are older and more prominent in the village.

This is all, thank you for reading! 

Next time up: the aftermath and the next fight


	26. Chap 25 Sudden Surprises

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

**Author's note: **Thanks to everyone for reading!** Answer to the reviews are at the bottom.**

_So, as I promised, I'm updating this chapter as soon as I finished writing it. I hope the wait wasn't too long. I gathered you are very worried about Shino, so I am letting you read about him without too much ado, here is the chapter: _

**SUDDEN SURPRISES: NARUTO VS GAARA **

**Or: Jinchūriki's clash – part 1 **

As the smoke dispersed, the crowd was able to make out the figure of the two genin – Sasuke trying to punch Shino, while he blocked the bowl with crossed arms – before they both fell on the ground at the same moment.

Then, without any forewarning, a figure appeared between them. It was not Genma, the proctor, but the masked jōnin who had carried Sasuke in the arena in the first place.

Hatake Kakashi glanced with open disdain at Sasuke, before kneeling to check over his student, just as two other figures appeared near him: Akimi and Naruto. Genma also approached, to check over Sasuke – it was his duty as proctor.

Genma called out for medics as soon as he saw Sasuke was unconscious. Then he approached the now united Team 7. It was astonishing how close they all seemed to be. He saw the girl had put an hand on Shino's forehead and her eyes were closed in concentration. The blonde genin was behind her, his arms crossed and his brow furrowed in worry. Kakashi stood up and he seemed very tense.

"Kakashi-sempai?" Genma asked.

The jōnin turned to look at him, just as the medical team arrived in the field. "Shino is unconscious, but otherwise seems to be fine." he explained.

"I guess he had his cloned Kikaichū absorb Sasuke's power." Akimi said then. "It clearly saved his life, because I doubted he would have sustained that punch otherwise."

"Why is he unconscious then?" Genma asked.

* * *

From his place in the Kage Booth, Sarutobi watched the happenings with keen eyes. He looked at his noble colleague, _the Kazekage, _with a corner of his eyes. He clearly saw an hint of enthusiasm and satisfaction on the other man's face. He sighed.

"Raidō-kun," the Sandaime started to say, sitting back down to his throne, "I need you to carry out a message for me."

The tokubetsu jōnin nodded hastily, as the old man whispered in his ear a couple of quick orders for Kurenai Yūhi: soon Sasuke would be moved to a safer location. And he would also ensure another genin's safety.

"Impressive display, once again." the Kazekage's velvet voice commented just as the guard disappeared with a Sunshin. "But you seem worried."

Hiruzen sighed, unsure on how to respond. "I was hoping the young Uchiha would not use that power." he truthfully answered. He had the distinct impression that, under his veil, the other man smirked in response.

"How so? It seemed a quite powerful asset."

"Power isn't everything." the Hokage sagely replied.

The answer was a barely contained snort. "I think we disagree on this point, Hokage_-__**sama**__._"

"So be it." Hiruzen quietly said. "We can't certainly agree on everything, can we, _**Kazekage**_-dono?"

* * *

"The Cursed Seal's chakra is foreign for Shino." Akimi answered. "So he passed out."

Kakashi nodded. "Would one of your pill help?"

The girl didn't answer but simply fed his teammate said pill, then she got up and sighed. "I think so."

A squad of chūnin medics reached them in that moment. "Let us pass. We need to examine the patients."

Kakashi looked evenly at them. "I believe you'll find out my student isn't hurt much. My other genin will take him back to the combatants booth. Sasuke-san, on the other hand, needs immediate attention. Bring him to the infirmary at once."

"But..."

"Kakashi-sempai is the highest-ranked shinobi here." Genma said. "Obey him."

"I want to have a look at the boy, first." the head of the medical team stubbornly said. "You can't stop me."

Kakashi nodded and moved out of the way. The medic, who was dressed in a whitish uniform, kneeled out and put his hands over Shino's stomach, before using green healing chakra to scan him. Meanwhile, the other medics were taking Shino out on a stretcher.

"He is indeed fine." the chūnin replied. "However, since he is unconscious it would be best if..."

He was interrupted when Shino coughed a couple of time, before sitting up.

"Oh, well." Kakashi cheerfully exclaimed. "I think that cancels your concerns, medic-san." he nodded to his other students.

Naruto helped Shino up then disappeared with a Sunshin. Akimi followed suit. The medic looked annoyed, but said nothing more before heading out as well.

The crowd had watched the events unfold with curiosity, but was starting to get restless once again. What the hell was happening? Genma noticed it at once.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" he shouted. "Both combatants passed out, so the match ends in a draw!"

Which was quite obvious.

"Now we will continue with..." the man stopped as another man appeared in the arena. The battlefield was getting quite busy, although he noticed Kakashi was gone again.

The Hokage's bodyguard whispered some hushed words to Genma, before leaving as will. "... as I was saying, we will now continue with the second round of matches. As the last match has ended in a draw, we will change the fighting schedule."

"What?" Temari asked, surprised.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru said, just as Team 7 arrived in the combatants booth.

Naruto was supporting Shino and helped him sitting down next to the wall. Akimi was hovering over them like a fussing mother hen.

"The first match of the second round will be Uzumaki Naruto against Sabaku no Gaara." Genma shouted then. "Then, it will be Katora Akimi against Temari of the Sand. The winners of both matches will fight in the final match of the tournament."

"What?" Akimi exclaimed. "That is... unexpected."

"It worked." Shino murmured.

"Uh?" Naruto asked, while Akimi looked down at Shino with narrowed eyes.

"We will now have fifteen minutes of spare before resuming with the fights." Genma concluded his announcement, provoking a couple of protests in the crowd.

"Well, mind explaining?" Akimi hissed to Shino.

"I wasn't really that passed out." the Aburame answered.

Naruto gaped at him.

"Why did I pretended then, do you ask?" Shino continued, whispering. "Logical. I thought that if the match ended in a draw, they would change the next ones like that. If what you said about Gaara is true... you are strong, Akimi, but you know the only one that can keep up with him is Naruto."

"Marvellous!" Naruto shouted. "You are a genius, Shino."

Akimi swatted them on the head at the same time, making them wince in pain. "Do you have an idea of what fright you gave me, Aburame-san?" she shouted.

"What did I do?" Naruto pouted, whining.

Shikamaru, Temari, Kankurō and even Gaara had turned to watch the display.

"You encouraged him, baka!" Akimi exclaimed. "And you! Do you think I need babysitting?"

"I was just worried, Akimi." Shino replied quietly, having care only his teammate could hear him. "I care about you and Naruto, you know. You are like siblings for me."

Naruto was uncharacteristically silent at those words, his eyes watering.

Akimi's eyes softened. "Sorry, I was worried too."

"I think you are a little irritable today." Naruto gently rubbed her back. "Just calm down, 'mi-chan. Relax."

"How can you think I can relax? You are about to have a true fight to death, for kami's sake!"

"I can totally win it, though." Naruto smiled. "Don't worry."

"Shino, you are sure you are fine?" Akimi asked.

The tall boy nodded. "You were right, that foreign chakra feels funny, but my Kikaichū are working on getting it out."

"Very well, we'll talk later about it." Akimi looked at Naruto. "Come with me." and she turned towards the door that led to the stairs.

Naruto looked a little baffled. So did all the other genins that had followed the small banter between the team – apart from Gaara who was emotionless as usual. Akimi stopped and turned when she realised the blonde had not followed her. She also noticed the others looking at them.

"Come on!" she repeated, quite annoyed. Then with a louder voice, she asked: "I am just going to have a make out session with my boyfriend to wish him good luck, you got problems with that?"

Shikamaru's eyes widened in surprise. Shino snickered and Temari giggled as well. Kankurō cursed and exclaimed: "I can't believe it!". Gaara still looked emotionless. Naruto seemed eager, albeit very surprised. What had gotten into Akimi?

But he did not wait a second more to follow her... he wasn't that stupid.

* * *

Akimi stopped near the stairs that lead down to the arena and leaned against the wall. She looked tired. Naruto reached her few seconds later and crossed his arms.

"What's wrong?"

"I told you. I am dead worried about you." she shook her head, as trying to clear her head. "I trust you, I trust in your abilities, but Gaara is..."

"... frightening." Naruto concluded for her. He moved closer to her. "But I can defeat him. I could summon one of the Great Three."

"In the middle of the village?" she asked. "Are you freaking crazy?"

"Yeah, right. I thought I was going to fight him in the forest, far from here." he scratched his head. "I need to revise my strategy."

"You don't say." Akimi rolled her eyes. "Why did you think I asked you to come here?"

He smirked. "To make out with me?"

She sighed. "You passed way too much time with Jiraiya-sensei."

Naruto chuckled.

"Let's be serious, 'to-kun! You have any ideas?"

"I was thinking about Suiton to slow him down. I can use a couple of Water Dragon to completely drench Gaara."

"We are not sure it's going to work." Akimi warned. "First gauge it with a minor jutsu."

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, you are right. Then I was also hoping my wind manipulation will help me to get him."

"Remove your weights." she replied. "You can't take any risk."

"Then there is my red chakra." Naruto concluded. "But I would keep it as a last resort. Using it in front of the village..."

Akimi nodded. "One last thing. I did have a strategy in mind, you know. I think you may use a part of it as well"

Naruto looked very interested. "Do tell."

Akimi beckoned him to come closer. He did and she whispered something in his ear. Naruto grinned. "Oh." he said. "Smart."

"Do you think you can pull it off?"

Naruto nodded. "Pretty sure. So, I think we can't do much more as it of now." he smirked. "But I do think that the making out session you mentioned could help me in the long run."

"Naruto!"

"Come on! For good luck! You basically promised it."

Akimi giggled. "Oh, all right." and then Naruto suffocated her laughter with his mouth.

* * *

Genma looked at the now restless crowd and then at his watch again. He sighed in relief. _'Finally. I thought the time would never come. Some of them look ready to jump into the arena and demand action. Stupid audience.' _"We will now resume the tournament!" he exclaimed, keeping his voice even. "Uzumaki Naruto and Sabaku no Gaara, please come down!"

The first one to arrive was the expressionless Suna genin. Genma had heard of what happened during the preliminaries match and the Hokage had also warned him of the boy's secret. He really wished he did not have to supervise this fight, but he wasn't shirking from his duty.

Gaara slowly walked towards him, a cold glare in his eyes, stopping at his side. Then he crossed his arms and waited.

Genma almost started to sweat when the other one didn't show himself. Then, thankfully, the blonde genin arrived as well, running frantically. His hair was ruffled and his overall appearance looked a little dishevelled. He stopped in front of Gaara, panting a little.

"Sorry I am late!" he exclaimed and Genma couldn't help but think that Kakashi had had a very big – and not always positive – influence on his students. "But I... I was preparing for this battle and lost track of times."

Genma raised an eyebrow, a little incredulous. Still the boy looked sincere. "It's fine." he curtly said, moving his senbon from one side of his mouth to another. "Now, the first match of the second round **begins!**" And he jumped back.

Naruto stretched his arms and cracked his knuckles. "So, here we are." he said cheerfully to Gaara.

The red haired genin didn't not even move, but he glared harder at his opponent.

"May the best one win." Naruto continued, trying to get an answer from Gaara.

"I am going to kill you."

Naruto laughed. "That must be the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me." his expression suddenly became serious. "I am not going to let you harm this village or my precious people."

This time, Gaara's answer was a sudden stab of his sand towards Naruto. The blonde didn't even flinch, disappearing from view in a blur of movement.

He was definitely as fast as Sasuke had been in the previous match, but without using chakra. Naruto knew he couldn't trick the sand's protection with taijutsu only, he was nowhere near Lee's levels, but he had a couple of tricks in his book. Yes, you guessed it.

"**Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!**" Naruto shouted from a vague point behind Gaara.

A dozen of clones appeared from nothingness and charged without any hesitation at the red haired kid. Gaara was obviously waiting for him. He looked almost bored, his arms crossed and his expression ever unchanging. It irked Naruto a lot, but the blonde restrained himself. This was not an opponent to take lightly.

Naruto didn't use chakra flow this time, he was only trying to see if he could create an opening in the sand shield on his own. He sincerely doubted he could, but one can never know. In fact, as much as the sand seemed to have a mind of its own, there was only so much it could keep up with.

Naruto observed the battle unfold, hidden with Ero-sennin's technique, the Tōton Jutsu (Transparent Escape Technique). He wondered if Gaara was testing him as well or if he was already fighting seriously. His guts told him it was the former option.

His guts weren't wrong.

For a few minutes, Gaara stayed still and stationary, his eyes following the movements of the clones moving around him. They were fairly quick and seemed almost to dance around him, trying to get past his shield. They attacked at the same time, from opposite sides, clashing against the sand with impressive strength – albeit weaker than the annoying bobbled haired kid. But it was all to no avail.

'_His control over the sand is clearly improved. He can move it faster and with more accuracy.' _Naruto thought. _'Lee has almost defeated him, so that has ought to made him train hard, in order to prove his existence. I must be extremely careful' _

Suddenly, Gaara grew tired of the strange game of run and chase between clones and sand: he moved his hand as if grasping an invisible object. "**Sabaku Kyū **[_Sand Binding Coffin_]" he murmured.

Naruto narrowed his eyes, watching as the sand reacted to its master's command and unexpectedly charged forward, capturing his clones. _'And that is my cue in.' _He ordered his clones to dispel, as he did not fancy the experience of being crushed by sand, and appeared midair, in front of Gaara.

"**Suiton: Mizurappa no Jutsu **[_Water Release: Wild Water Wave Technique_]!" he bellowed, unleashing a fairly sized wave of water against his opponent. Gaara promptly used his sand to shield.

Naruto landed on the ground, watching with keen eyes to see if his plan had worked and the sand was slowed down.

Gaara looked a little irritated. "**Sabaku Kyū!**" he roared with a cold voice.

Naruto cursed as the sand was as fast as before – if not faster. He formed the dragon seal. "**Fūton: Daitoppa** [_Wind Release: Great Breakthrough_]" he shouted back. He was much more comfortable with Fūton, since it was his – extremely powerful – affinity. He didn't even break a sweat as he overpowered the jutsu to blow away all the bloody sand.

Wind and sand clashed powerfully against each other, but eventually it was Gaara who gave up, stopping his attack. Naruto panted a little – blowing all that air out was a little tiring – and gritted his teeth. _'It didn't work. Time to pass to plan B!' _

* * *

Shino watched with a rather amused smile as Naruto arrived into the arena. '_So they did really make out? That's unexpected.' _He had gone back to his spot, leaning against the railing.

Besides him, Shikamaru looked surprised. "What a drag!" he muttered.

Shino almost couldn't believe that nobody had noticed how close Akimi and Naruto really were. For him it was kind of obvious, but then again he had seen it happen. And Akimi was very reserved, hence why only an handful of people knew the two teammates were, in fact, a couple. She must have been very stressed out to shout in front a three potential enemies that she was going to make out with her boyfriend. Still, he couldn't help but think it was entertaining.

In that moment Akimi arrived back in the combatants booth. Like Naruto, the usual neatly dressed girl looked messy – messier, in fact, than the blond. And she was smiling goofily.

Shino restrained a snicker.

"Cut it off, Shino, I am still annoyed with you." Akimi lightly scolded him.

"Whatever do you mean?" Shikamaru asked. "He hasn't even moved a little."

"I know what to look for." Akimi replied, stretching. She went to stand beside her teammate.

"Troublesome."

Down in the arena, Genma started the match.

"So, how is it going really?" the girl asked quietly.

Shino sighed. "I lost more Kikaichū that I would have liked." he curtly answered. "I still have roughly half of my chakra reserves... and your pill is doing its work as usual."

"Why do you bother?" Shikamaru asked. "It's not like you have to fight again."

Akimi glanced at the two Sand Siblings, but thankfully they seemed quite focused on the battle. They probably didn't hear them talking. Good. "You should stay alert, Shikamaru." she murmured, then turning to Shino, she continued: "Do you plan to use that technique?"

"Quite frankly yes." the Aburame shrugged. "How long do you reckon the fight will last?"

"It depends on how soon and if _that_ surprise happens." Akimi looked intently as several Narutos attacked Gaara in tandem. "But I would wager you'll have enough time."

"What about...?" Shino slightly beckoned towards Temari and Kankurō.

Akimi smirked. "I'll provide a genjutsu... they look quite distracted anyway."

"Right, I need some time to prepare."

Shikamaru sighed. "You two are _so _troublesome."

As Akimi was about to answer the very Shikamaru-like comment, Naruto attacked Gaara with his Suiton technique.

"Did it work?" she asked to nobody.

In response, Gaara's sand shot forward to try and ensnare the blonde. Naruto immediately defended himself with his outstanding skills with Fūton.

Akimi sighed. "I hoped it would have worked." she murmured, then she frowned. "Did you feel it too, Shino?"

"Yes, definitely." the Aburame smirked. "You just need to let Naruto know it as well."

Shikamaru sighed. '_What a drag... but they got me curious.' _"What is it?"

"The sand is heavier, therefore Gaara is using more chakra to make it move at such a speed. We clearly felt a spike in his energy when he attacked." Akimi answered, as Naruto and Gaara stared at each other in a standstill, then she focused into nothingness.

"She is telling Naruto." Shino explained, noticing Shikamaru baffled expression.

A few moments later, Akimi nodded. "Done, he also said he would buy time for you 'cause he has another idea we didn't discuss."

"Pity I'll be probably too focused to see it properly" Shino sighed. "I am ready when you are."

Akimi nodded and closed her eyes in concentration. "I'll fill you in on what 'to-kun does." she held the Ram seal. "Genjutsu in place. Go."

Shino went through a brief sequence of handseals then whispered: "**Hijutsu: Mushimayu **_[Secret Technique: Insect Cocoon]_" He was immediately surrounded by a faint blue shell of light, that covered his whole body. He was even stiller than usual.

Akimi checked to see if Temari or Kankurō noticed something, but her illusion seemed to work. Satisfied, she turned back to the arena. "Shino is increasing the number of his Kikaichū." she told Shikamaru. "Meanwhile, you should enjoy the battle."

"Troublesome." the other boy murmured. "Aren't you worried?"

"Very." Akimi softly said. "But my trust in him is bigger than my anxiety. It will be fine."

* * *

After Naruto blew away Gaara's attack, he dropped into a defensive stance, thinking about his next move. '_Pity about the Suiton thing... although it would have been a little too easy. And it is never easy...' _

"'_to-kun!" _Akimi called him through their Loyalty Seal. He knew she would not do such a thing during a battle if it weren't something important. Probably some new intel about Gaara. He created a clone to cover him and waited. "_Gaara needs more chakra to move the drenched sand. It's not much, but it's not an entire waste either." _

"_Good." _he sent back,

"_Shino needs to increases the number of his insects. More time would be appreciate." _

Naruto registered the words, even though his mind was swirling with thoughts. The seal that allowed him to use water was very useful, but had a massive chakra cost. He could not play out like that, because even if Gaara was using more chakra, Naruto himself was probably wasting more: he should not – could not probably – defeat another Jinchūriki simply by outrunning him in stamina.

However, water wasn't the only way to slow down the sand. Naruto wondered why he didn't think of that before. "_Fine, 'mi-chan. I've an idea... it'll also buy time." _

"_Good. I am out." _

In other words, focus on the battle. Thankfully, his opponent hadn't made a move yet. However, Naruto sensed a raising anger coming from the red haired kid. '_Not good. I don't want him to transform here... I better entertain him.' _

Few seconds later, he and his clone had duplicated several times. Gaara was now literally surrounded by a swarm of black and orange clad kids, but he did not look bothered in the slightest. In fact, he simply crossed his arms.

Then, moving as one man, the army of clones charged forward. Akimi tilted her head. '_What is he doing? He is a stamina freak, but this is a little excessive. Unless...' _

Naruto's clones were behaving in a rather... suicidal way. Their attacks were messy and sloppy, almost as if their aim was to provoke Gaara. Still, they somehow were able to escape the abrupt stabs of sand that tried to kill them.

Yes, Naruto was definitely playing with Gaara. But why?

"I want your blood!" Gaara shouted suddenly, clearly tired of that skirmish. "**Sabaku Kyū!**"

Few of the Narutos desperately tried to escape – and some even succeeded – but most of them were inevitably captured. The true Naruto had waited with his arm crossed on the other side of the arena.

"Go ahead, you crazed brat!" he shouted. "Try to get my blood if you can!"

Gaara looked as murderous as when Lee had first hit his Armour of Sand. "**Sabaku Sōsō **_[Sand Waterfall Funeral]_!"

The sand clenched like an iron fist against the captured clones, destroying them among their cries of pain. But they did not dispel with a pop of smoke, like one would expect...

Gaara was clearly surprised to see them transform in a mass of sticky, thick, brown oil. The oil completely drenched his sand. And it was clearly more deterring than water, because it actually made several grains of sand stick together.

"**Gamayu Bunshin **_[Toad Oil Clone]_" Akimi whispered. "Smart."

Gaara seemed really furious now. In fact, instead of simply waiting for Naruto to come at him, he started to attack viciously as well. Naruto smirked, noticing the sand's movements appeared to be more hesitant, at least a little.

Naruto jumped away to avoid being stabbed by a spear of sand, soon regrouping with his surviving clones, that were actually Kage Bunshin. It was time to use Fūton seriously. He had practised, during his training with Ero-sennin and Akimi, several taijutsu formation to use with his clones. It was very important to train carefully because, once he got down to use Fūton chakra flow, the risk of cutting one of his own clones was very high. Basically, he had to learn how to time perfectly his attacks – which wasn't that hard since he was used to fight in tandem with Akimi. What he was going to do now, he mentally called "Square formation". He looked at his clones and nodded.

The Shadow Clones sheathed their tantō at the same time, then moved to surround Gaara: the starting point of the formation consisted in having four Narutos at the corners of an imaginary square, while other four stood in the middle point between the first ones, so the opponent found himself in the middle of said square. The concept was simple: after dividing the square in eight identical triangles, each one covered one. They would attack relentlessly and try not to let the enemy escape the square – which wasn't really an issue because Gaara was a very stationary ninja.

Gaara was still enraged and did not lose time to attack again. Naruto and his clones did not let him reach them. This time, their movements were precise and deadly. While their numbers had drastically decreased, their efforts had exponentially increased. Evidently, coordination was more deadly than sheer numeric superiority.

The audience was captured by the strange dance taking place in the arena. Gai looked fairly impressed. '_He must have practiced long and hard to reach such a perfect harmony with his clones. They will not mistakenly hit each other.' _

"He can't win with taijutsu only." he said to Kakashi. "Even though he can multiply as much as he want."

The masked jōnin nodded. "He is just trying to create an opening." he said. "Besides, Gaara must have difficulty to move that sticky, oiled sand."

Gai shook his head. "You know as well as I do that he can't just hope to outlast him in stamina."

"Although if that were the case, I would say Naruto would win. I never met anyone with as much energy as the kid." Kakashi eye smiled.

As much as Naruto tried his hardest to get past the sand's shield, he could not. The battle seemed to be at a draw... and the blonde smirked.

"Let's cut it!" he shouted.

Nothing seemed to change in the blonde's fighting style... expect that now he was indeed using chakra flow. Gaara was from Suna, so he was very familiar with wind chakra, but he had to admit: the blonde was probably better than most of his villagers. The invisible blades of cutting air came suddenly and without forewarnings and his sand could barely keep up with them.

And then it happened: the wind reached him. Gaara stumbled back in surprise, but thankfully his armour of sand stopped the blade before it could wound him. But it was only the first of several cutting attacks coming at him: he even saw Naruto's tantō slice dangerously near his body.

Gaara started to panic. '_No, no, no... I won't let my existence be erased!' _"NOOO" he shouted, calling his sand to him. It swirled and danced around him, even succeeding in taking out a couple of clones, before encasing him in a dome like shield, all around him. Said dome looked as hard as stone. A small eye of sand hovered above, probably giving Gaara an idea of what was happening outside the shield.

The remaining Narutos jumped back. One of them – probably the real one - beckoned a couple of clones and they charged forward trying to slice the dome with their tantō and Fūton chakra. It did not work: in fact they were launched back because of the counterblow, falling into the ground and dispelling.

Naruto was still, a little breathless, thinking hard about a way to break that very effective defence. '_Clearly, that dome is infused with a __**lot **__of chakra. That is why my wind can't get through it. I wonder how long Gaara can keep it up.' _Naruto looked torn about what do to. His shoulder crumbled down, as he pondered whether the boost Kyūbi's chakra gave him would be enough to break that bloody shield. But, as he said to Akimi, he did not really fancy using _that _chakra in front of the whole village.

"_Shino is done." _Akimi said to him in that moment. "_'to-kun, don't be afraid." _

"_I want to do this with my __**own **__power!" _he replied rather forcefully.

"_Then put some pressure on that thing." _

Naruto frowned. "Pressure?" he asked aloud to no one. Then he smirked. But of course!

He quickly used ANBU signals to order his clones what to do. Then he took a deep breath. '_Let's hope this works. Timing has to be perfect!'_

From his inside his shield, Gaara was holding his head. "No, no... mother! I am not going to be erased. I will get you his blood!" It was then that he saw Naruto move.

Two annoying blondes stood in front of his dome, going through handseals.

"**Katon: Goukakyuu no jutsu! **[Great Fireball Technique]**" **shouted the first, creating a small fireball. It was smaller than Sasuke's and nowhere as powerful as Akimi's, but what did it matter when he could fuel it?

"**Fūton: Namikadou **_[Wind Release: Wind Vortex]!" _the second Naruto bellowed, unleashing a literal tornado in the arena.

Gaara's eyes widened, as a blazing hot inferno of flames came crashing towards his shield. He had already used a great quantity of chakra... but he would withstand it. He would not be killed! What he did not considered, though, was the fact that his sand was drenched in oil. High inflammable oil.

The sand caught fire suddenly and powerfully and he had no choice but to release the dome to avoid being burned down – his Armour of Sand had already been put under pressure when he did. But as soon as he was free, Naruto appeared behind him with a burst of speed and sliced at him with all his physical strength. At the same time he channelled the chakra conducting metal with his most powerful wind manipulation. The very same one that had cut through a waterfall.

The already proved Armour of Sand could not stand a chance: Naruto broke through it, drawing blood from Gaara.

"**AHHHRG**!" the red haired boy shouted and his voice was insanely terrifying... and inhuman. Sand raised from his gourd, grabbing Naruto in a iron grip... right before he popped out of existence.

Akimi sighed in relief. '_Thank the Kami for Kage Bunshin!' _she thought, holding her heart.

"My blood!" Gaara bellowed. "My blood!" A heavy, murderous killing intent swept through the arena.

The true Naruto, who was revealed to be the one that used Katon moments before, paled. He knew what that meant. Gaara's body had partially transformed and an arm made of sand, with yellowish mark running on its surface, made to grab Naruto.

The blonde jumped back, avoiding it. He knew it was time to draw Gaara out of the village, exams be damned!

* * *

"Has he transformed?" Temari and Akimi asked at the same time.

"I think he's still in control." Shino murmured, watching as the arm disappeared – thankfully.

Gaara was panting, holding his right shoulder with a look of disbelief and sheer hatred. The killing intent was his, obviously, and he was all directed at Naruto.

"I am going to kill you!" he roared.

"I would like to see you try." Naruto replied with a confident smirk.

The whole arena was silent. Naruto thought it was normal, until he noticed something... _'Are those feathers?' _Then it hit him: genjutsu!

"**Kai! **(Release, dispel)**" **he shouted, just as his teammates did the same.

Thought the stadium, a lot of other ninjas dispelled the illusion at once too, among them, of course, Kakashi and Gai. Sakura, not surprisingly – seeing who her sensei was – reacted immediately as well, then she quickly woke up Ino, Chōji and Kiba. She wouldn't have done so up until a month ago, but now she was a much more capable kunoichi.

Kakashi looked at her and nodded in approval. _"Akimi told me the other rookies were training hard during this month." _

Then, a booming explosion was heard. Everyone turned to the source: the Kage booth, which was covered in smoke.

It had started.

* * *

**JUTSU NOTES: **

**Hijutsu: Mushimayu **[Secret Technique: Insect Cocoon], C/B rank, supplementary. An Aburame members uses his own chakra to propel and speed up the life cycle of the Kikaichū, encasing himself in a shell of chakra – a cocoon of sort. The technique is incredibly useful, but leaves the opponent static and vulnerable. Therefore, it can only be used in a safe location or when guarded by teammates.

_Notes: I changed a couple of details from canon, one because I couldn't find out how long it actually took to finish the technique, two because the technique seemed to create a very bright and blinding light, a detail that I have eliminated. _

**Gamayu Bunshin **[Toad Oil Clone]: C rank, supplementary. Thanks to the connection with Toads, due to signing a summoning contract, the user can create clones with the sticky brown oil of Mount Myōboku, the sacred ground of Toads. When the clone is hit, it dispels drenching the enemy with said oil, leaving them extremely vulnerable to Fire jutsu.

_Note: a very big thank you to __**NATSUxERZA 123456 **__for giving me the idea for this jutsu._

* * *

**REVIEWS' ANSWERS **

**Skeleus: **_thank you very much for reviewing. I am glad you like the techniques' name like this. =) I hope you liked this chapter._

**Laura-Jean95: **_thank you very much for reviewing! Ahahaha, honestly your review made me laugh so much... it must be my sadistic side. I usually hate reading cliff hangers myself, but they are needed now and there to keep up suspense! Besides, Shino is just fine, see? I hope I am forgiven. I like him as well, so don't worry too much in future..._

**GiveMe20Dollars: **_thank you for reviewing! I am extremely glad you liked the fighting scenes and (I assume) the cliff-hanger. I hope you liked this chapter as well._

**mg4of6: **_thank you a lot for reviewing! I gathered you didn't like so much the cliff hanger, eh? I hope you liked this chapter (and I know there is another small cliffy there, but we all know what is gonna happen right?)._

**OnePieceFAN2012: **_thank you so much for reviewing. Sorry for the cliff hanger, but here is next chapter... I don't think it took me so long to post it, since I had to write it from zero! _

**fred123: **_thank your reviewing. You are absolutely right and I did correct the sentence. I didn't express myself well, as I wanted to say Sasuke reached Kakashi's normal speed (you know when he is not fighting seriously or with chakra enhancements). In any case, I would like to make you notice that while Kakashi is one of the top jōnin, it isn't certainly because of his speed... (like it would be for, let's say, Gai) If you check the official stats, you'll see that Kakashi's and Lee's speed is the same: 4 out of 5. Sasuke, on the other hand, has 3 and then 3,5. So it isn't that different, although I personally think those stats are a little approximate..._

**azfaerydust: **_thank you for reviewing! I am glad you like Shino's personality. What did you think of protective Shino at the start of the chapter? =) About the Chidori, I do think Sasuke's will eventually get it, but I still need to figure out the details about how it will happen. Right now, anyway, he doesn't know how to perform it. _

**pedobear412: **_thank you so much for reviewing. I am glad you liked the chapter and the fight, and that you agree with me about Sasuke and his semi-bashing. You guessed right: draw! Let me know what you think about the chapter! =)_

**OoklahThePunk57: **_thank you for reading and reviewing. Please, do not worry, I am glad if you make me notice mistakes so I can correct them. I am edited the two things you told me about. I am happy you seem to enjoy the story and let me know if my characters still seem overpowered. I don't really want them to be overpowered, but perhaps I failed in this aspect. Let me know! _

**maruaderlove: **_thank for reading and reviewing (and re-reading! XD). I am very glad you enjoyed the story and that you think the characters (and especially Shino and Akimi) are believable. That is my main concern_!_ Let me know if you liked this chapter as well. Thanks again! _

**Pirate Queen ofthe 21st centry: **_thank you a lot for reviewing. I am glad you enjoy the story! Here it's the chapter, let me know what do you think about it! =) _

* * *

**CHAPTER'S NOTES: **

_So another small cliff hanger. I hope you don't mind too much, as you all know what it's gonna happen next. _

_I got a little OOC with protective!Shino and hysteric!Akimi at the beginning, but it was kind of fun! =) What do you think about it? _

_Now, for the fight against Gaara, I hope I really got it down realistically. _

_In recent canon, it was shown that Gaara can still manipulate wet sand (it was actually part of a collaboration jutsu) but I thought it would be logical that he uses more chakra to do it. As for the use of Oil, I know that oil is lighter than water, but I figured that the Toad Oil is different, sticky and full of chakra and so it would deter Gaara more. As for the sand catching fire, I also thought that as much as it is engulfed with chakra, it's still is vulnerable. It's all about pressure! _

_The title refers to the "surprise" at the beginning, when Naruto fights Gaara instead of Akimi and to the "surprise" at the end. As usual I hate giving titles and this was the best I could come up with. _

_Now, starting from next chapter – whenever I decide to publish it after I edit it – I __**will close the**__**poll about Shino's affinity. **__So if you want to vote, you should do it now! This is because I've another poll for you in mind (but you'll see next time) _

This should be all, thank you again for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Until next time! 

Next time up: _Invasion! _


	27. Chap 26 Invasion?

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto nor any of the characters, beside the main OC. All credit for creating this amazing series goes to Mr. Kishimoto **_

**Author's note: **Thanks to everyone for reading!** Answer to the reviews are at the bottom. **

_So I hit a minor writer's block and had some difficulties writing a couple of scenes. I had planned of making this chapter much longer, but I thought of posting this now to hopefully get some feedback. Actually, this is very similar to what happens in canon, but sets up for the changes that will happen then. I hope you enjoy! _

**INVASION? IT'S A FIGHT TO THE DEATH!**

The single explosion was like a small rock causing an avalanche. In the woods outside Konoha, several platoons of Suna an Oto nins reacted to the sound, preparing for a full scale attack on Konoha's walls.

In the Great Arena, time froze for a split second. Then hell broke loose.

Kakashi and Gai looked in shock at the Kage booth.

"Hokage-sama!" shouted the taijutsu master in worry.

"Let us handle it." an ANBU commanded, as the three squads Kakashi had spotted before rushed towards the roof. He knew they were meant to be only two, but after receiving news of Gaara's true nature, the Hokage had employed one more. Kakashi would have preferred actually more security, but the war council had opted to send most of their forces around the village. Besides, the arena was packed with jōnin in any case, there to watch and judge the matches.

The special forces met on the roof below the Kage booth. The ANBU commander, who could be distinguished because of his white robes, was quick to asset the situation: "Second and third squad, with me. Sixth squad, protect the Daimyō and the other feudal lords!"

Four black robed shinobi nodded, before disappearing in a burst of speed.

The Commander turned towards the smoke and had no problems in seeing four shapes coming towards him. "Out of my way!" he shouted, dismissively, disposing of the four Sound nin with a simply sweep of his kunai. "Protect the Hokage!" he shouted to his men, running forward.

* * *

Sarutobi's eyes were wary and he seemed confused, as smoke engulfed and surrounded him. _'So it started.' _He expected the Kazekage to attack him, after learning the truth about Gaara: it made sense and the main matches were the perfect excuse to get into the village. But it was more convenient to show surprise, as if he didn't suspect anything.

"Kazekage-dono..." he quietly asked. "What is the meaning of this?"

The other man smirked behind his veil and Sarutobi's tuned senses heard two hissing sounds. Kunai. He rushed on his feet, but was too late: Raidō, his bodyguard, was killed on the spot.

"Please escape, Hokage-sama!" the dying man pleaded.

Sarutobi sighed. It would have been so easy to listen to him... but he could not. Especially because he found himself entrapped into the Kazekage's iron grip within seconds, a kunai held to his throat. His foe leaped upwards, forcing him to follow.

The two men landed on the roof above the Kage booth and the Sandaime watched the two ANBU squads he dispatched to his protection as they made their way towards them. He was surprised when four foreign shinobi arrived first.

They were dressed in beige tunics, adorned with a yin-yang symbol missing the black. Their belts were purple and tied in a large knot behind their backs. _'Oto nin.' _Sarutobi thought, more cautious than before. _'So I was right...' _

"Do it!" the Kazekage softly commanded, just as the approaching ANBU squads was getting closer and closer.

The four Sound ninja clapped their hand in the Snake seal. "**Ninpou: Shishienjin **[Four Violet Flames Battle Encampment]!"

With a small shine, a purple barrier spread from them, surrounding the two Kage in a perfect, rectangular box. Sarutobi watched with horror as one of his ANBU collided with the barrier midair, bursting into flames. The other seven stopped dead on their tracks.

"I would tried to reason with you." Sarutobi slowly drawled. "But I know you stopped listening a long time ago, my student."

* * *

Kakashi sighed, watching the ANBU go. "We were expecting this, Gai." he quietly said. "Trust in Hokage-sama. He is the strongest ninja of Konoha. He can handle the Kazekage. Be alert."

As if to confirm the copy nin's words, several 'spectators' suddenly leaped into action: they actually were Oto nin camouflaged and their civilian clothes crumpled into the seats. Four of them, who looked like high ranked ones, flanked a masked ANBU.

All around, weapon clashing against each other could be heard. The battle had started.

Gai, who was about to yell at the ANBU for not rushing to the Hokage's aid, stopped. "An enemy masked as an ANBU... that's unexpected. He is the one who used the genjutsu, isn't he?"

"Hai." Kakashi seriously said. He looked towards the Kage booth. "We underestimated them. They were even able to outmanoeuvre ANBU."

Gai spared a glance in that direction too. "A barrier field technique. They are not normal ninja."

In that moment the Sound shinobi moved with sudden speed. Right towards four frozen rookie genins.

* * *

"Stop being ridiculous." Akimi sharply said. "We know you are awake."

On the ground Shikamaru, who had 'fallen' in the genjutsu groaned.

"So, if you want to know, Suna betrayed us. We are being invaded. Now you can either stay there and sleep or help us." the girl continued.

"What a drag." Shikamaru exclaimed, getting up. "You don't need to sound so accusing."

"I never had a doubt you would an... Stop them!" Akimi shouted then, ignoring him, as she watched Kankurō and Temari tense their muscles.

Shikamaru sent forwards his shadow, but missed them for a fraction of second. So did Shino's Kikaichū, before retreating back when they failed. Akimi, who had leaped towards them, didn't hesitate and jumped down in the arena after them. Shino and Shikamaru followed suit only few seconds later.

Kankurō and Temari had flanked a distressed looking Gaara.

Naruto had his eyes on Gaara and was still, as if waiting for his charge. He was conscious of the battle sounds all around him, but did let himself get distracted.

"I'm going to **KILL **you!" Gaara shouted in outrage once again.

"Stop, Gaara." Kankurō tried to mollify him. "There is no need for this anymore."

Temari nodded. "Don't forget about our mission."

"I'm curious about that." Naruto sarcastically said. "What mission are you talking about?"

"Probably something involving the utter destruction of Konoha..." Akimi appeared behind him on his right.

"And we can't stay idly by while this happens." Shino concluded, behind Naruto on his left side instead.

"Troublesome." Shikamaru completed the strange rhombus formation, standing behind him.

"All right, 'to-kun?"

The blonde nodded. "I've plenty of energy left." he said, smiling widely.

"Get out of my way!" Gaara growled, yanking Kankurō aside. "I'm going to kill you all...!"

"What the hell are you doing?" Baki, the Sand Sibling's sensei, joined the crowed arena. He glared at the genins formation in front of him. Naruto glared back harder, as if defying him. "The mission has started already."

Gaara moaned in pain, holding his head. He crashed on his knees. "No, no... mother!"

Akimi and Naruto frowned and exchange a baffled look: did Gaara just called 'mother' his own Tailed Beast? That was really disturbing.

"He is hurt!" Temari exclaimed, crouching near her younger brother. "And he used up most of his chakra."

"Then he can't do _it_." Kankurō said.

"No, notright now!" his sister replied, urgently.

"What a fool... He should have waited for the signal!" Baki shouted, irritated. "Gaara is our triumph's card. You need to get him out of here and treat his wounds. When he recovers, resume the mission!"

"Hai." Kankurō said.

Temari looked hesitant. "What about you, sensei?"

"I will stop these guys."

"Uh, that's bad." Akimi murmured, so that only her comrades could hear her. "The guy is powerful."

"We need to split up." Shikamaru said. "Although I doubt any of us is a real threat for a jōnin."

"He is going to underestimate us." Naruto said. "That can play in our favour."

"Not necessary." a quiet voice said, as Genma appeared in front of them. "I'll take care of him. You go after those three."

In fact, Temari and Kankurō, who was holding Gaara, leaped away, jumping above the high wall of the arena.

"Hai, sir!" Naruto shouted. "Just make sure to kick his ass, sir!"

Genma chuckled as the blonde leaped in action after the Suna siblings.

"You are not leaving!" Baki yelled, throwing two kunai towards them.

Genma promptly stopped the projectiles with two of his own. "Your fight is with me."

As the four genin crossed the wall, Akimi stilled suddenly, right on top of it. The others stopped as well, a little confused.

"'mi-chan, what the hell?" shouted Naruto.

"Orochimaru." she said. "He trapped Hokage-sama into a field barrier."

"I saw it. The old man can fend on his own! ANBU are going to..." he stopped. "They can't get past the bloody thing, can they?"

She shook her head.

Naruto nodded. "Go on then!"

"What?" Shikamaru asked, surprised.

Akimi seemed to have an internal battle. "Take Kaera with you. I'll catch up with you as soon as I take it down." and she leaped away.

"The hell, Naruto?" Shikamaru exclaimed. "We need all the help we can get against _Gaara. _What she can do that ANBU cannot?"

"She studied barriers with Ero-sennin for a month. Let her try. And there is three of us." the blonde replied. "Four with Kaera-chan. It'll be enough. Now let's not waste other time."

"Especially considering that we already lost terrain on them." Shino deadpanned.

Naruto looked around. "Damn them!" he growled. He saw Kaera ahead of them, in direction of the forest. "Let's go!"

* * *

The _Kazekage _looked startled for a second, then chuckled evilly. "So you knew, _Sarutobi-sensei?_" he snarled, literally tearing away his face. The features of the Kazekage shredded like a mask made of skin, revealing a pale face and two slit amber eyes.

"Your actions became predictable..." the Hokage closed his eyes. "...Orochimaru. So you cannot take my head so easily!"

"I told you before: you should have picked a Godaime sooner, Sandaime." Orochimaru said. "Because you are going to die here." and he licked the kunai with a unnaturally long tongue.

"Well then, what are you waiting for?" Sarutobi asked, taunting him. "Or you don't have the heart to kill your old teacher after all?"

"I do." Orochimaru replied, reading the kunai. Then, without any forewarning, he strongly stabbed it... into his hand.

The ANBU watching the scene gasped. That man was seriously crazy... pity he had the strength and brains to back it up.

"Oh, now I'm finally awake." the Sannin slowly released the Hokage and walked few steps away from him. "We can start now."

Sarutobi looked around. His ANBU were discussing what to do about the barrier right now.

"The field can be destroyed only from inside." the Commander said. "If Hokage-sama can kill one of those four we can help him."

In that precise moment the four sound nin focused and sure enough the barrier extended on the four corners to protect them.

Hiruzen snorted. "Looks like I can't leave very easily." he smirked. "Well then! Shall we start?"

* * *

Sakura recognised the man into the purple barrier with a startled gasp. Kiba groaned behind her. "Orochimaru?" she whispered. "Is he after Sasuke-kun again?"

"Watch out!" Kiba shouted, as two Oto nin jumped towards them. He drew a kunai, going on the defensive... but there was no need.

Kakashi easily cut down the two shinobi, holding a kunai in each hand. "You stay there, guys." he said, eye-smiling. "I'm going to cut off some enemies and I'll be right back."

The four genins looked around in amazement at the battle that was going on. The Konoha shinobi in the stadium were facing the Suna and Oto invaders. Clangs and yelps of pain could be heard from all directions.

Kakashi and Gai were two of the most deadly shinobi there. They disposed of a dozen of enemies each, before stopping back to back on the stairs.

"Damn, it's Orochimaru! I'm worried about Hokage-sama, but..."

"Let ANBU deal with it." Kakashi curtly said.

"But..."

"The Hokage won't lose that easily."

"Is that your student, rival?" Guy asked then. "She is making her way up there right now."

Kakashi immediately turned, seeing that his long time friend was right. _'Akimi, what the hell are you doing?' _he sighed. "Mah, I suppose she knows a lot about barriers if what Jiraiya-sama said was correct. I'll trust her."

"Then I think we should not let our new friends waiting..." Gai smirked.

Kakashi nodded and the two jōnin leaped back into the fight.

* * *

Kaera ran forward, leaping to tree from tree. Naruto followed immediately before her, then came Shikamaru and Shino, on the rear.

"This is so troublesome." Shikamaru said. "If Gaara has really a demon inside of him, why don't they send higher level ninja to deal with him?"

"He is still only around genin level. Well, more like chūnin." Shino replied. "And they are defending the village right now. Besides..."

"They say: fight fire with fire." Naruto darkly stated. "And the stronger one will win. Don't worry, Shika, I'll take care of Gaara myself. You can resume your brain battle/flirting with Temari."

"Nani?" Shikamaru exclaimed. "I was **not **flirting."

"Whatever." Naruto quickly changed direction as Kaera jumped to the right. "There was a lot of tension during your match after all."

Shino chuckled.

"Naruto, you baka!" Shikamaru shouted, annoyed. "What did you mean with '_fight fire with fire'_, eh?"

"I'll explain once we have dealt with those three." Naruto curtly replied. "Or you can figure it our yourself, lazy genius."

"Troublesome..."

"Kaera, how long before we catch up with them?" Naruto asked to the small animal.

While Shino was usually the tracker of team, Kara was an extremely talented chakra sensor and Gaara was like a very shining beckon of light for her. They had silently agreed Shino would watch their back with his Kikaichū instead.

Shino raised an eyebrow. _'Why does he ask her? She can't answer!' _he wondered

"_I don't know, nii-chan._" the tiger replied. Her voice was barely a scratchy whisper. "_They are going pretty fast._"

"Since when can you speak, Kaera?" asked Shino instead, confused.

"Oh, she learned during this month thanks to Akimi's other summons. But she hates doing it." Naruto explained. "Shika, can you move faster?"

In that moment, Shino frowned and few seconds later Kaera growled.

"We are being followed." the Aburame announced darkly.

"Geez, already?" Shikamaru cursed. "How many?"

"Three platoons." Shino said. "They haven't found our location yet."

"Stop. Get down." Naruto ordered. He turned, his hands in the bird sign. He blew in air and released a couple of gentle burst of wind. Their footprints were cancelled.

"**Kage Bunshin no jutsu." **he exclaimed, dropping into the road as well. Five clones appeared into existence. One transformed in a small tiger. "Led them astray, guys."

Shikamaru was impressed. "A decoy strategy. But will be enough?"

"My last clone will keep cancelling our trail, but let's move carefully for the few next minutes. Shika, can you or can you not move faster?"

"I can." the pineapple haired boy replied. "What a drag."

"Good." Naruto expression's was fierce. "Let's go!"

* * *

Akimi reached the roofs just as Orochimaru and Sarutobi seemed to get serious with each other. She had met a couple of Suna chūnin on her way, but had quickly disposed of them: it was easier that she expected, because they underestimate her. Hiruzen and Orochimaru were rushing to each other. The first to attack was the Sandaime – and once again the sheer speed of his handseals amazed her.

"**Ninpou: Kawara Shuriken **[Roof Tile Shuriken]!" the old man shouted, and tiles of the roof below him raised and flew hurling towards the Snake Sannin with a gashing sound.

Orochimaru chuckled and easily dodged them, jumping. "**Sen'eijashu **[Hidden Shadow Snake Hands]!" he exclaimed and a long snake shot out from his mouth, biting Sarutobi at the jugular. The Hokage tried to shake it off, to no avail.

'_Disgusting!' _thought Akimi.

"You really got old, sensei!" Orochimaru exclaimed. "I can't believe something like _this _is effecting you!"

But he couldn't even finish to word his mockery, that 'Sarutobi' suddenly melt into a puddle of mud.

'_Wow! He must have created a Tsuchi Bunshin to substitute with. Without handseals! His chakra didn't even spike up.' _Akimi realised. _'He really is worthy of his title!' _

"**Doton: Doryū Taiga no jutsu **[Earth Release: Earth Flow River]!" the Hokage shouted from behind his foe, holding the tiger seal.

Orochimaru was swept off his feet by a floating river of mud, that threw him several meters away from Hiruzen. The Sannin was quick to regain his footing and started his own series of hand seals.

"I don't think so!" Sarutobi exclaimed, his hands flashing again and stopping to held the dragon seal. **"Doton: Doryūdan [**Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!]"

Akimi watched in awe as a dragon head formed from the river, opening to shoot several small bullets toward Orochimaru. _'He used those jutsu with so few seals! He is definitely a Doton master!' _And apparently the Hokage wasn't even finished. She recognised the warm feeling his chakra took. _'Fire is next.' _

"**Katon: Karyūdan **[Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet]!" And another dragon head, this time made of blazing fire, joined the first, breathing a huge burst of fire that ignited the earth bullets. The swirling mass of fire and mud left part of the roof destroyed, running over Orochimaru.

"Cut the act, Orochimaru." Sarutobi sternly said, just as Akimi landed with a final leap in front of the ANBU.

One of them turned towards her. "What are you doing here, genin?"

She tilted her head. "Why aren't you trying to break down the barrier?" she spat back with barely hidden contempt.

"How dare you, genin!" the same one replied.

"The barrier is impenetrable." the ANBU commander quietly said. "We cannot help but merely watch the events unfold, genin Katora."

With a start, the girl recognised him to be the same man who was with the Hokage when she reported info about Orochimaru in the tower of the Forest of Death.

"It completely burned down one of my men." he continued. "And they cannot be attacked from the inside."

Akimi bowed her head. "Forgive me, commander-sama." she said. "But the first thing Jiraiya-sensei taught me is that there is no such thing as a impenetrable barrier."

* * *

"I'm back!" Kakashi exclaimed, landing in front of the four rookies. "Missed me?"

They looked baffled at his antics.

"Should we join the fight, Kakashi-sensei?" Kiba asked the, eagerly.

"Mah." the jōnin sighed. "Don't engage in battle unless you need to defend yourself. Everything is under control."

"How can it be, sensei? This was so unexpected!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Not really, actually." Kakashi eye smiled. "Since what happened in the Forest, we have all been very alert. By the way, you and Kiba do not need to worry: Sasuke-san is safe."

The two genin nodded and the relief was clear on the pink haired girl.

"Kiba, does your dog know the scents of Neji and Tenten?"

Akamaru barked. "Of course he does. We were very close during the preliminaries."

"Good. They should be around the infirmary. I want you and Sakura to go look for them." Kakashi turned to the pink haired girl. "Akimi tells me you have studied and seems to be very good at first aid, is it true?"

Sakura blushed. "Well, I..."

"Yes, good. You regroup with Neji and Tenten. Neji is the more experienced out of you, so he will take command. You need to reach hospital, look for the commanding ANBU there, they may need help transferring their patients. Then, make way to the shelters. In any case, avoid any confrontation if possible. With Neji's Byakugan and your Inuzuka nose you should be fine. Go!"

Sakura seemed hesitant, but then look at Kiba and they both nodded, leaping away. Kakashi impaled an enemy ninja who was following them with a kunai.

"Chōji, Ino." he said, taking out another knife. He distractedly cut his thumb. "Go to the lower roofs and find a covered spot. There, wait for Akimi to regroup with her." He went through signs: Boar, Dog, Bird, Monkey and Ram. He slammed his hand on the ground. "**Kuchiyose no jutsu!**"

With a puff of smoke a small bull dog appeared. He wore a blue vest and had a Konoha Hitai-ate on his head.

"Pakkun, accompany them to the lower roofs. Then please go collect Akimi-chan as soon as you see the purple barrier going down."

"Who is this?" Chōji asked.

"Oh, this is the fourth member of your squad, of course."

The two genin sweat dropped.

"He is a small doggy!" Ino protested.

"Ehi, don't call me that!" the animal barked, offended.

"He speaks!" Ino pointed at him, freaked out.

Pakkun snorted and licked his paw. "I'm a summon. Of course I speak."

"But what are our orders?" Chōji wondered.

Kakashi eye smiled. "Back Akimi up. She will explain." he said. "And be careful! This is war"

* * *

Naruto stopped on his tracks, letting out a small groan.

"What is it?" asked Shino.

"My clones' feedback." he replied, signalling to keep going. "They were discovered. They managed to take down one of those guys before being overwhelmed. I think they are all above chūnin level."

"From what my Kikaichū said, at least one of them is ought to be a jōnin as well." Shino said. "I think they catch up with us soon."

"It makes sense." Shikamaru replied. "They are probably expert trackers. They must have received specific training for this mission as well."

"So we should assume we also lose the advantage of knowing the territory." Naruto said. "Orochimaru was from Konoha."

"An ambush would be a very hazardous move. Especially considering their numbers." Shikamaru said, darkly. They stopped. "There is only one choice..."

"Delay them." Shino concluded.

"If one of us will stop, the other three will be able to get away. But the decoy will probably..." Shikamaru hesitated. "Die."

"I will stop." Shino said. "I'm the most suited for an ambush."

"No!" Shikamaru protested. "I can _delay _them better. This place is full of shadows. Shino, against Temari or Kankurō you'll have an edge. I bet you still have a couple of tricks on your sleeves. They know everything about my abilities, I've shown them in front of the whole stadium."

Shino was obviously going to argue, but Naruto stopped him raising his hand. There was no hint of his usual cheerful personality in his darkened eyes. "Shikamaru is right."

"But..."

"You are the best suited to fight Kankurō. I can keep Temari at bay for a while on my own." Four clones popped into existence and Naruto quickly put a pill in his mouth. "These should help, Shika. And remember: 'mi-chan is on her way."

The Nara nodded. "What are you waiting for? Hurry up, go!"

"Pay attention, there was actually thirteen of them." Shino evenly warned. "So now they should be twelve."

"_And don't get killed. Nee-chan still has to beat you at shogi._" Kaera said in that moment.

Shikamaru chuckled. "You got her sarcasm all right, kitten." and he turned his back to the other genins.

Naruto nodded at him. "We are counting on you, Shika!" he shouted, before leaving.

Within seconds Shikamaru remained alone, in the shadows of the high trees that surrounded Konoha. "Troublesome..." he muttered, but his eyes shined with determination.

* * *

**JUTSU NOTES **

**Ninpou: Shishienjin **[Four Violet Flames Battle Encampment]: B rank, supplementary, short range. This collaboration jutsu requires four people to be performed. The four ninja face one other in a square formation and create a purple barrier that lets nothing enter nor exit. Anything touching the field will be immediately engulfed in flames. There is no way to destroy the barrier from inside, because the users also create a barrier on the inside protecting them.

**Ninpou: Kawara Shuriken **[Roof Tile Shuriken], C rank, offensive, short to mid range. The user uses chakra to control tiles, reinforcing them, before hurling them at the opponent.

**Doton: Doryū Taiga no jutsu **[Earth Release: Earth Flow River] B rank, supplementary/offensive, short to mid range. The users transforms the ground under their opponent into a river of mud, throwing them off balance and sweeping them away.

**Doton: Doryūdan [**Earth Release: Earth Dragon Bullet!] B rank, offensive, short to mid range. The techniques creates a dragon head that fires balls of mud at the opponent. It works best if there is already a medium to create the dragon, such as mud created by a previous technique.

**Katon: Karyūdan **[Fire Release: Fire Dragon Bullet], C/B rank, offensive, short to mid range. The techniques creates a breath of flames that shots forward towards the opponent. It can also be used in combination with Earth Techniques to ignite earth projectiles.

* * *

**REVIEWS' ANSWERS **

**1) **I am very glad you seemed to like the OOC Akimi and Shino at the start of the chapter. It was kind of an experiment and a way to break tension between fights. =)

**2) **I've got a lot of responses to the Toad Oil Clone, that makes me very happy, but to give credit where credit is due I'm going to thank **NATSUxERZA 123456 **again to giving me the idea! =)

**azfaerydust**: _thank you very much for reviewing. I am glad you liked both the Toad Oil Clones and the fight scenes. =) So far, I am definitely covering the whole pre Shippūden canon. I've already got everything planned up until the Search of Tsunade Arc and a couple of ideas for the Sasuke Retrieval Act. It is my intention to write a sequel covering Shippūden as well, but I am going to wait until Kishi finishes the Fourth Shinobi War Arc to see where he is going, although I will probably only take minor inspirations from canon Shippūden. Let me know what you think about the chapter, I hope you liked it! =) _

**Skeleus: **_thank you a lot for reviewing. I am glad you enjoyed the OOC-ness at the start of the chapter and also the rest. Let me know what you think about this, I hope you enjoy it as well. _

**Robin42069: **_thank you for reading and reviewing. I am glad you liked the idea of the Oil Clone, about this let me know if you remember where exactly you saw that before. I hope you liked this chapter as well, let me know. =) _

**NATSUxERZA 123456: **_thank you very much for reviewing. I am surprised you thought I wasn't going to use your ideas cause they were very goods and I told you as much. I think I may also use another one in later chapters – but everything is still a little fuzzy so I can't say exactly when. I'm more inclined to make Naruto summon Bunta but we shall see, I still need to plan how the rest of the fight vs. Gaara plays. About the Search of Tsunade Arc, everything is already planned and I am not going to spoiler you, but I promise you that the issue about Naruto and Akimi needing to spend time apart will be covered amply in next chapters. (Not immediately, but it will)_

**maruaderlove: **_thank you a lot for reviewing. I am very glad you liked the chapter and the fight! OOC Shino and Akimi absolutely rule and to think that it was just an idea that come to me while I was writing! XD Let me know what you think about this chap =) I hope you liked it! _

**Unmei Ryu **_thank you very much for reviewing. You are absolutely right, the fight with Shino was necessary to show how unstable Sasuke is. I am glad you liked it BTW. I am extremely happy you were positively surprised by Akimi's sentence because that was exactly my aim! =) I hope you liked this chapter as well, let me know! _

**Pirate Queen ofthe 21st centry **_thank you so much for reviewing! I'm guessing you liked the chapter! Let me know about this one as well =) _

**vsncheze **_thank you a lot for reviewing. I am glad you enjoyed last chapter. No, the Oil in the clones is the same one Gamabunta and Jiraiya use to fuel fire jutsu (you know the one?), so as they can use it spitting it out from their mouth, I figured the oil could last enough time on the normal plane. Let me know about what you think of the start of the invasion (but the juicy stuff is yet to come, so...) =) _

**GiveMe20Dollars **_thank you a lot for reviewing. I am very glad you like my Shino this much. I must be honest, when I started writing the fic I couldn't figure out how to make Shino behave, but his personality kind of grew together with the fic itself, and know I just love him so much =) BTW, I am still smiling about you calling me patty-sempai! XD XD, that was a great boost for my writing abilities! =) _

**pedobear412 **_thank you a lot for reviewing. I am happy you liked both the chapter and the Naruto/Akimi moment =) Akimi's question just popped into my head as I was writing and I thought it was funny so I had to put in the chapter! About Sasuke, you are right of course, but I've already covered his fall to the dark side with a series of steps after the invasion. Besides, he is already almost over the edge, way worse than he was in canon (which is why he used the seal against Shino) Let me know what you think about this chap! _

**OnePieceFAN2012: **_thank you so much for reviewing. I am glad you liked the Akimi/Naruto moment! Here is the start of the invasion, let me know about what you think! =)_

**3ch0: **_thank you for reading and reviewing. I wasn't able to figure out if your first review was positive or negative, so please clarify that. Although, seeing your second comment, I am more inclined to think it was negative. In any case, it is not "a big deal" as you put it to be. It's a simple logical conclusion and I can't really see why it bothers you so much. _

_So, Naruto has had a lonely childhood, everyone ignored him and so on. We all know about that. The only people he could trust (I am speaking of canon here) were Teuchi and Ayame at the ramen stand, Iruka and the Sandaime. In this story, Naruto discovers that Sarutobi has kept two great secrets from him: the truth about his family and the seal. It seems only logical to me that this tampered and lessened the trust he had in the Sandaime. In fact, I've always thought that Naruto was too much trusting and forgiving in canon. He should have gone and give a piece of his mind to the Sandaime after Mizuki told him about the fox. As for the prank part, it is only a minor reason for keeping his knowledge hidden. The main reason, just so you know, was to see if the Sandaime would tell him or note: a test of sort for the man. I hope this is clear. In any case I would suggest you cool your language off. Thanks. _

**CHAPTER'S NOTES: **

I am very unsure about this chapter. As I told you at the top, it's very similar to canon, but this is just to set up all the stuff than then will happen during the invasion. In fact there is only an extra ANBU squad than in canon and Sarutobi knowing about Orochimaru (writing mind games between him and Oro is so fun!) 

Let me know what you think about **Kakashi giving orders to the rookies. **I swear I thought over that part for hours and yet the solution I came up with doesn't satisfy me. Do you think it's believable? And do you want me to expand Sakura's and Kiba's mission? (Cause I didn't really want to, since I want to focus on Team 7 during the invasion). 

Also another great dilemma was who send with Akimi as reinforcement, but I chose Chōji and Ino to have a chance to write interaction between them and Team 7 and because they are Shika's teammates. Also, Kiba was the only one with recon abilities so that was a big factor too. 

Changing topic, I'm going to issue a new **poll on my profile **about Akimi and Rasengan, if you want to vote go and see it. 

Thank you for reading everyone, until next time! 

Next time up: _what can some lowly genin do? _


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